Me And You, Heartbreak
by itsthetruth
Summary: 10/OC. Rewrite of Series 4. Rose Tyler is coming back, Donna is now travelling with The Doctor, Flo and Martha, Flo's losing Maria and gaining Rani and River Song's going to her death. "So a bit after 1913, we met Donna Noble. Of course you know that's when everything really began. If only River could have warned me the three of us were heading for Winter Quay. Goodbye, Ponds."
1. Partners In Crime Part 1

I snuck into the attic, already dressed, and towards the draw in the desk. I quickly opened it and flicked through Mum's journalist ID's before finding her fake health and safety one. I stuck my photo over hers and slipped it into my pocket, grabbed my bag and walked out of the attic to bump into Luke, just got out of bed.

"Where are you going?" He asked, half asleep.

"Going out for a bit, won't be long." I kissed him on the head before walking downstairs, Luke following me.

"I thought we could do something today. Me, you, Maria and Clyde." Luke muttered as he walked into the kitchen.

"I know, I'm sorry." I called out as I opened the front door. "Soon though, I promise. Tell Mum when she wakes up I'll be home later."

"Ok." He sighed before I walked out and shut the door behind me.

...

"Sarah Jane Smith, Health and Safety." I said, flashing the security guard my ID card as I walked into the Adipose Industries building.

...

"Adipose Industries." Miss Foster began as we all sat and watched the seminar. "The 21st century way to lose weight. No exercise, no diet, no pain. Just lifelong freedom from fat. The Holy Grail of the modern age. And here it is." She held up a small white tablet. "You just take one capsule, one capsule, once a day, for three weeks. And the fat, as they say..."

"The fat just walks away."

"Excuse me, Miss Foster, if I could?" A journalist asked. "I'm Penny Carter, science correspondent for The Observer. There are a thousand diet pills on the market, a thousand con men stealing people's money. How do we know the fat isn't going straight into your bank account?"

"Oh Penny, if cynicism burnt up calories, we'd all be as thin as rakes. But if you want the science, I oblige." She turned to the screen.

"Adipose Industries. The Adipose capsule is composed of a synthesised mobilising lipase, bound to a large protein molecule. The mobilising lipase breaks up the trigycerides stored in the adipose cells, which then enter..." The computer went on and I rolled my eyes.

"100 percent legal, 100 percent effective."

"But, can I just ask, how many people have taken the pills to date?" Penny asked.

"We've already got one million customers within the Greater London area alone. But from next week, we start rolling out nationwide. The future starts here. And Britain will be thin."

...

"That's a three-week course of pills for a special price of 45 pounds." A young blonde employee said down the headset as I sat next to her and flashed her my ID.

"Sarah Jane Smith, Health and Safety. Don't mind me." I whispered as I picked up the free pendant that came with the pills and twirled it in my fingers.

"We deliver within three working days. The box comes with 21 days' worth of pills, a full information pack, and our special free gift, an Adipose Industries pendant." I frowned at it and put it down on the table before opening the box and looking at the pills. "It is made of 18 carat gold, and it's yours for free. No, we don't give away pens, sorry. No, I can't make an exception, no."

"Excuse me, everyone, if I could have your attention." All of the employee's stood up and I peered over to see Miss Foster. "On average, you're each selling forty Adipose packs per day. It's not enough. I want one hundred sales per person per day. And if not, you'll be replaced. Cos if anyone is good in trimming the fat, it's me. Now. Back to it." She turned and left.

"Thank you for your cooperation." I said before grabbing my bag and leaving quickly.

...

"And where have you been all day?" Mum's voice called down from the attic as I shut the front door and leaned against it.

"Out." I called back, pushing myself off the door. I hung my bag off the banister and started to walk up to the attic.

"You left at half 7 this morning, it's twenty to nine now!" She said as I walked into the attic to see Luke playing a game on the computer and Mum standing by Mr Smith.

"I'm 22!" I argued, walking back out and into my room with Mum following.

"So where did you go investigate?" Mum asked as she sat down on the bed next to me whilst I took my shoes off.

"Adipose Industries."

Mum frowned, "The diet pills place?"

"That's the one." I muttered.

"2 days Flo, he said. He'll be back in 2 days! Can't you just wait?"

"Oh come on Mum, it's not like it's dangerous!"

...

I walked into Adipose Industries and straight into the toilets. I sat there for over 7 hours before I heard someone come in.

"We know you're in here, so why don't you make this nice and easy and show yourself?" The voice of Miss Foster said, making me quickly pull my legs up. "I'm waiting. I warn you, I'm not a patient woman. Now, out you come." Silence. "Right. We'll do it the hard way. Get her!" The stalls started to be kicked open one by one before the eventually stopped, 3 kicks in.

"There you are." Miss Foster said, I sighed, relieved.

"I've been through the records, Foster," I heard Penny say. "And all of your results have been faked. There's something about those pills you're not telling us."

"Oh, I think I'll be conducting this interview, Penny." I heard the door open again and they left. I waited a few seconds before sneaking off after them. I ran up the stairs towards Miss Foster's office to see someone already peering in. A woman, with ginger hair, that looked awfully like...

"Donna?" I whispered. She turned round quickly at me and her jaw dropped.

"What are you doing here?" We both asked. "Investigating." We both said again.

"Am I glad to see you!" She whispered, hugging me before dragging me over to the window to look into Miss Foster's office, who now had Penny tied to a chair inside. Penny and Miss Foster argued before mine and Donna's gaze fell over to the window and we saw The Doctor and Martha.

"Donna? Flo?" The Doctor mouthed through the window.

"DOCTOR!" Donna mouthed back.

"But... what? Wha... What?!"

"OH MY GOD!"

"But... how?"

"It's me!"

"Well, I can see that!"

"Oh this is brilliant!"

"But what are you doing there?"

"I was looking for you!"

"What for?!" Martha and I smirked at each other, watching between our two companions.

"I, came here, trouble, read about it, internet, I thought, trouble = you! And this place is weird! Pills! So I hid. Back there. Crept along. Heard this lot. Looked. You! Cos they..." The three of us looked over at Miss Foster to see her staring at us.

"Are we interrupting you?" She asked.

"Run!" I said, grabbing Donna's arm and running down the stairs.

"Nothing changes!" She laughed nervously as we kept running before I ran straight into The Doctor. He picked me up and spun me around in a hug.

"Couldn't you wait 2 days?" He asked breathlessly as Martha appeared behind him.

"No." I laughed as he reached down and kissed me quickly before hugging Donna and I hugged Martha.

"Oh my God! I don't believe it! You've even got the same suit!" She pulled out of the hug. "Dont you ever change?"

"Yeah thanks Donna, not right now." He looked down at the guards coming towards us, pulled me onto his back and grabbed hold of Martha and Donna's hands. "Just like old times!"

...

"Cos I thought, how do I find the Doctor?" Donna began as we reached the roof. The Doctor dropped me down chucked me the sonic and ran off towards the window cleaning cart as I soniced the door shut before running over to them. "And then I just thought, look for trouble and then he'll turn up! So I looked everywhere, you name it - UFOs, sightings, crop circles, sea monsters. I looked, I found them all. Like that stuff about the bees disappearing, I thought, I bet he's connected. Cos the thing is, Doctor, I believe it all now. You opened my eyes. All those amazing things out there, I believe them all. Well, apart from that replica of the Titanic flying over Buckingham Palace on Christmas Day, I mean that's gotta be a hoax!"

"What d'you mean, the bees are disappearing?" The Doctor asked as he climbed into the cradle and helped me in with Martha following, took the sonic from me and quickly soniced the controls.

"I don't know. That's what it says on the internet. Well on the same site, there was all the conspiracy theories about Adipose Industries, I thought let's take a look!" She frowned at the cradle.

"In you get!"

"What in that thing?"

"Yes in that thing!"

"But if we go down in that, they'll just call us back up again."

"No no no, cos I've locked the controls with a sonic cage. I'm the only one who can control it. Not unless she's got a sonic device of her own. Which is very unlikely." He held out his hand and she took it, climbing into the cradle. I bashed my hand on the button and we started to go down.

"By the way," I began, pointing between Martha and Donna. "Donna, this is Martha."

Donna smiled, "Nice to meet you." She said, a little out of breath.

"This is Donna?" Martha laughed, looking at The Doctor. "The woman who was getting married?" Donna scowled at The Doctor.

"Yes, do we have to do all this domestic now?!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Now you're just sounding like Jack." Martha scoffed before suddenly, the cradle started speeding downwards, sending us falling everywhere. I yanked the sonic out of The Doctor's hand and quickly soniced up at the controls. Donna, Martha and The Doctor quickly got up and The Doctor took back the sonic, sonicing the window in front of us.

"Hold on. Hold on, we can get in through the window." He said quickly. "Can't get it open!" He said as I realised Miss Foster must have deadlocked the building.

"Well smash it then!" Donna picked up a spanner and started bashing it against the window when Martha nodded up at the sky. I followed her gaze to see the cable sparkling.

"She's cutting the cable!" I shouted nervously as the cable snapped and Donna went tumbling out, hanging on by the wire.

"DONNA!" The Doctor shouted, grabbing onto Martha's arm quickly so she didn't fall out.

"Doctor!" She screamed back.

"Hold on!"

"I AM! Doctor!" The Doctor turned and pointed the sonic at the air when suddenly, a pen came flying down out of the sky and The Doctor leaned back and caught it. He quickly climbed up the cable and used the pen to open the window before pulling me and Martha in. "This is all your fault. I should've stayed at home!" We quickly bolted down the stairs and into Miss Foster's office. The Doctor ran over, and pulled open the window when me and Martha noticed Penny, tied up to a chair.

"Is anyone gonna tell me what's going on?" Penny demanded.

"What, you're a journalist?" Martha asked.

"Yes."

"Well, make it up!"

"Get off!" Donna shouted, kicking her legs as The Doctor tried to grab them.

"I've got you! I've got you. Stop kicking!" The Doctor begged, pulling her inside. She dropped down onto the floor, flushed, and straightened out her jacket before turning to me.

"I was right. It's always like this with you, innit?" She asked.

"OH YES! And off we go!" The Doctor grinned, pulling us out of the room.

...

"You're blonde." Donna pointed out as we ran into the call centre.

"Yes, I'm bloody blonde!" I said breathlessly as we suddenly ran into Miss Foster and her guards, stopping with a hault.

"Well then," Miss Foster said, taking off her glasses. "At last."

"Hello." Donna said.

"Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor, this is Flo and Martha." The Doctor said.

"And I'm Donna."

"Partners in crime. And evidently off-worlders, judging by your sonic technology." Miss Foster said, raising a eyebrow.

"Oh yes, I've still got your sonic pen. Nice, I like it. Sleek, it's kinda sleek." The Doctor shrugged.

"Oh it's definitely sleek." I agreed. "Yeah, and if you were to sign your real name that would be...?"

"Matron Cofelia of the Five-Straighten Classabindi Nursery Fleet. Intergalactic Class." Miss Foster said.

"A wet nurse." Me, The Doctor and Martha said in unison.

"Using humans as surrogates." The Doctor said.

"I've been employed by the Adiposian First Family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost." Miss Foster said.

"What do you mean lost? How do you lose a planet?" Martha asked.

"Oh, politics are none of my concern. I'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents."

"What, like an outer space super-nanny?" Donna asked.

"Yes, if you like."

"So... so those little things they're, they're made out of fat yeah, but that woman, Stacy Campbell, there was nothing left of her."

"Oh, in a crisis the Adipose can convert bone and hair and internal organs. Makes them a little bit sick, poor things."

"What about poor Stacy?" Donna demanded.

"Seeding a level 5 planet is against galactic law." I said darkly.

"Are you threatening me?"

I scoffed when The Doctor squeezed my hand and interupted, "I'm trying to help you, Matron. This is your one chance; cos if you don't call this off, then I'll have to stop you."

"I hardly think you can stop bullets." The guards raised their guns and our hands shot up.

"No, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, one more thing, before... dying. Do you know what happens if you hold two identical sonic devices against each other?"

Miss Foster hesitated a second, "No."

"Nor me, lets find out!" He turned the screwdriver and pen against each other and pressed the buttons, sending a screaming pitch through the air.

**A/n - So I decided to do this in one half sort of thing to start up the story, um, review and let me know what you thought :) **


	2. Partners In Crime Part 2

Miss Foster and her guards squirmed in agony as the noise went straight through us when Donna bashed into the Doctor, making the sonic devices move so it stopped.

"Come on!" She shouted before we turned and ran off.

...

The Doctor threw open the cupboard and started throwing supplies out as Donna, Martha and I just watched him.

"Well, that's one solution. Hide in a cupboard. I like it." Donna nodded.

"We hid in there for 7 hours." Martha groaned.

"We hid in the loos." Donna and I said in unison.

"Hacking in to this thing, cos the matron's got a computer core running through the center of the building." The Doctor explained, throwing out the last of the supplies. "Triple deadlocked. And now I've got this!" He held up the sonic pen. "I can get into it." We all stepped into the cramped cupboard and The Doctor started fiddling with the green alien machinery.

"She's wired up the whole building. We need a bit of privacy." He pressed two sparking plugs together. "Just enough to stop them." He muttered, letting the go and fiddling with more wires. "Why's she wired up the tower block? What's it all for?"

"Inducer online." The computer said as The Doctor pulled me forward to help him look at the machinery. The brilliance of being with The Doctor this long is that you pick up on things, so I was quite a help.

"You both look older." Donna said quietly as I heard Martha move the supplies The Doctor had thrown out, out of the doorway.

"Thanks." The Doctor said quietly.

"It's good you're not on your own."

"Yup, she's brilliant Martha." He said quietly. "I destoryed half her life, but she's still here."

"What about Rose?"

"Still lost."

I breathed in sharply, "I thought you were going to travel the world?"

"Easier said then done." She chuckled. "It's like I had that one day with you two and I was gonna change. I was gonna do so much. Then I woke up next morning, same old life. It's like you were never there. And I tried. I did try, I went to Egypt. I was gonna go barefoot and everything. And then it's all bus trips and guidebooks and don't drink the water and two weeks later you're back home. It's nothing like being with you." She sighed. "I must have been mad turning down that offer."

"What offer?" The Doctor asked.

"To come with you."

"You'd come with me?"

"Oh yes, please!" She grinned.

"Right."

"Inducer activated." The computer said.

"Oh not good." Martha said, reappearing behind us.

"What's it doing now?" Donna asked.

"She's started the program." I groaned. "So far they're just losing weight, but the Matron has gone up to emergency pathogenesis." I explained as The Doctor quickly worked on the machine.

"That's when they convert..."

"Skeletons, organs, everything. A million people are gonna die!" The Doctor said nervously. "Gotta cancel the signal!" He pulled out a Adipose pendant from him pocket, pulled it open and attached it to the machine. "This contains the primary signal. If I can switch it off the fat goes back to being just fat." He explained.

"Inducer increasing." The computer said.

"No no no no no, she's doubled it, I need... Haven't got time! It's too far, I can't override it! They're all gonna die!"

"Is there anything I can do?" Donna asked.

"Sorry, Donna, this is way beyond you! Gotta double the base pulse, I can't..."

"Doctor, tell me what do you need." Martha said.

"Sweetheart, tell us!" I begged.

"I need a second capsule to boost the override, but I've only got the one. I can't save them!" He panicked as he fiddled with the machine. Donna casually reached into her pocket, taking out a pendant and dangling it in front of his face. The Doctor stared at her in awe before the four of us started laughing. He quickly grabbed it, attached it to the machine and the green lights went off.

We all sighed and The Doctor pulled me into a hug when a loud horn blared from outside.

"What now?" Martha groaned.

"It's the nursery." I said, as me and The Doctor watched the instructions on the computer.

"Fine. When you say nursery you don't mean a creche in Notting Hill." Donna said.

"Nursery ship."

"Hadn't we better go and stop them?"

"Hang on, instructions from the Adiposian First Family." The Doctor said. "She's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post. Oh. Ooh. We're not the ones in trouble now. SHE is!" He turned and bolted out of the cupboard.

...

"What you gonna do then? Blow them up?" Donna asked as we watched the Adipose fly up into the ship.

"They're just children. They can't help where they come from." The Doctor said.

"Oh, that makes a change from last time. You must have done them good, Martha.

"Yeah, I did." Martha said, smirking at The Doctor as a little Adipose waved at us and we waved back.

"I'm waving at fat." Donna said.

"Actually, as a diet plan, it sort of works. There she is!" The Doctor said. We bolted over to the edge of the of the roof as Miss Foster hovered in front of us. "Matron Cofelia, listen to me!"

"Oh, I don't think so, Doctor." She said patronisingly. "And if I never see you again, it will be too soon."

"Oh, why does no one ever listen?" He groaned. "I'm trying to help! Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?"

"What, so that you can arrest me?"

"Just listen!" I shouted. "We saw the Adiposian instructions - they know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. So what's the one thing they want to get rid of? Their accomplice!"

"I'm far more than that. I'm nanny to all these children." I glanced up at the windows of the ship, all the Adipose inside with just Miss Foster left in the air.

"Exactly!" Martha exclaimed. "Mum and Dad have got the kids now, they don't need the nanny anymore!" Suddenly the blue light vanished. Bewildered, Miss Foster looked down and she fell with a scream. Donna hid her face into the Doctor's shoulder as Me and Martha looked away with a wince. Then we looked up again and saw the Adipose waving goodbye through the windows of the ship as it started to fly away.

...

"You ok?" I asked as The Doctor threw the sonic pen into a bin outside Adipose Industries, ignoring the sirens and the ambulance. He turned and nodded at me.

"Couldn't you have waited two days?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes and he grinned at me as Martha and Donna appeared next to us, "God you sound like Mum."

"Oi, you lot!" We looked round to see Penny running out of the building, still tied to the chair. "You're just mad. Do you hear me? Mad! And I'm gonna report you... for madness!" She ran off, leaving us watching her.

"You see, some people just can't take it." Donna said.

"No." The Doctor said.

"But some people can. So, then - TARDIS! Come on!" She grinned, pulling The Doctor off by the arm as me and Martha followed them.

"She's eager." Martha muttered.

...

"That's my car!" Donna gasped as we walked down the alleway, past her blue car. "That is like destiny! And I've been ready for this." She pulled open the boot, still talking to The Doctor and Martha as I stepped inside The TARDIS. I hopped up to the console and dialled quickly into the phone, pressing it to my ear.

"I guess he was there then." I heard Mum's voice in my ear.

"Have you got The TARDIS' number saved onto Mr Smith?" I asked. "But yes, I bumped into Donna, who was also investigating-"

"The bride who appeared in The TARDIS?"

"Yep. Anyway, less then ten seconds later, we ran straight into The Doctor and Martha who were of course slap bang in the middle of it."

Mum just laughed. "Just be careful, yeah?"

"Of course! I'm not gonna get killed or anything."

_"So a bit after 1913, we met Donna Noble. Of course you know that's when everything really began. If only River could have warned me the three of us were heading for Winter Quay." Rory leaned back against the big Q with a few of the light bulbs inside smashed, reading aloud whilst Amy held a papoose tightly to her chest, walking around the rubble and inspecting it carefully whilst listening to her husband. "I know you'll look after your son, after everything at Demon's Run, it's what you deserve. Also know that Melody had a good life and died with dignity. Just because Melody Pond killed The Doctor doesn't mean she spent her life locked up in StormCage."_

**Please Review!**


	3. Fires Of Pompeii

**A/N - New series, new outfit! It's the same outfit Flo wore from Voyage Of The Damned, the white shirt, black high waisted shorts and black trainers, the only difference this time is there is no bow tie!**

"It's hot in Rome." I mumbled, lightly tapping the books as I walked up and down the aisles of the library slowly with The Doctor following me, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"And what's wrong with heat?" He asked.

"I'm just not feeling that great." I sighed.

"C'mon, Donna will love it!"

"I don't think Martha's that keen on places with heat after that spaceship with 42 minutes until crashing." I turned and looked at him as he rolled his eyes. "_**Burn with me**_!" I imitated, laughing.

"Not funny. What were your plans for today anyway?"

"Well, I was going to say let's spend the rest of the day in bed, but since you're so eager to go out..." The Doctor's jaw dropped and he stared at me, dissapointed.

"W-wait, no! Flo-"

"I guess I'll go and spend time with my little sister." I grinned. "I haven't done anything proper with Maria in ages."

...

"Hmm." I muttered as I layed on Maria's bed, flicking through her diary. I sighed as the door opened and I threw it across the room before looking up at Maria, staring at me.

"How did you get in?!" She demanded.

"Through the front door." I frowned. "I went home first, had to throw up, haven't been feeling too well. Where is everyone?"

"Clyde dragged Luke to some skating thing with all the boys from school and Sarah Jane is at the Pharos Institute until later this evening."

"Luke's doing normal human boy things with other human boys apart from Clyde?"

"Yes."

"Luke?"

Maria just rolled her eyes at me.

...

"Can't you just get Mr Smith to do your homework for you?" I asked as I layed across the sofa in the attic whilst Maria sat at the computer. "Oh wait, Mum made sure we wouldn't, didn't she? Forgot about that..."

"Yeah, well that's Clyde's fault after... y'know." She sighed.

"I've got a craving." I announced.

"What for?"

I thought for a second, wriggling my nose, "Fish fingers..."

"Mm-"

"And custard."

She didn't flinch she just sat for a second before spinning around on the spinny chair and looking at me. She breathed in sharply, "Are you pregnant?"

I blinked at her and frowned, "What makes you think that?"

"Feeling ill, being sick, weird cravings."

...

"How long does it take?" Maria asked as we sat on her bed, staring down at the white stick.

"About 3 minutes I think." I shrugged. "I've only had one experience with a pregnancy test, and that was with my best friend Mels. She scared the shit out of me, Amy and Rory before then telling us it was a joke and that she knew our pregnancies would be a lot scarier, or some crap."

"You're so calm about this..."

I laughed slightly, "Let's just say, I know I'm not pregnant."

"Ok, take a look." We both looked back down at the stick and blinked at it in shock.

"Right." I whispered. "I think I better get to Rome."

...

"Ancient Rome." The Doctor pushed past a curtain that covered the small alcove The TARDIS was parked in to reveal Rome to Donna. "Well, not to them, obviously. To all intents and purposes, right now, this is brand new Rome." We stepped out into the market street as Donna span around in awe as Martha watched her in amusment.

"Oh my God, it's... It's so Roman! This is fantastic!" Donna gasped, hugging The Doctor. "I'm here, in Rome, Donna Noble, in Rome." She said enthusiastically, letting go and looking around again as The Doctor took my hand.

"You ok?" He mumbled.

I smiled softly, "Of course." I whispered.

"This is just weird! I mean, everyone here's dead." Donna laughed.

"Well, don't tell them that." Martha said.

"Hold on a minute, that sign over there's in English." She pointed over at a cart with a board advertising 'Two amphoras for the price of one'. "Are you having me on, are we in Epcot?"

"That's the TARDIS translation circuits," I smiled at her. "Just makes it look like English. Speech as well.

"We're talking Latin right now." Martha agreed.

"Seriously?" The Doctor nodded. "I just said 'seriously' in Latin."

"Oh yeah." He laughed as we walked up the street slowly.

"What if I said something in actual Latin? Like, 'Veni, vidi, vici'? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said 'Veni, vidi, vici' to that lot, what would it sound like?"

"I'm not sure. You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?"

"I'm gonna try it." She walked over to the stallholder.

"Afternoon sweetheart. What can I get you, my love?" He asked.

"Ehm... Veni, vidi, vici." She said awkwardly.

"Huh? Sorry?" The stallholder started gesturing wildly. "Me-no-speak-Celtic. No-can-do-missy."

"Yeah." Donna said, walking back over to us. "How's he mean, Celtic?"

"Welsh. You sound Welsh. There we are, learnt something." I said as we carried on walking.

"Don't our clothes look a bit odd?"

"Nah. Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho, but bigger." The Doctor shrugged.

"You've been here before then?"

"Mm. Ages ago. Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well... a little bit."

"It was completely your fault." I scoffed.

"But I haven't got the chance to look around properly. Colosseum, Pantheon, Circus Maximus... you'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything? Try this way." He nodded and we walked up a different alleway and into a wide street.

"Not an expert, but there's seven hills of Rome, aren't there?" Donna asked. We followed her gaze to the one, huge mountain towering over the town. "How come they've only got one?" There was a loud roar and the ground began to shook as the citizens stared shouting and grabbing onto things as if this was natural. "Wait a minute. One mountain. With smoke. Which makes this..."

"Pompeii." I said.

"We're in Pompeii." Martha agreed.

"And it's volcano day!" The Doctor said.

...

"He sold the bloody TARDIS." I muttered as we walked, trying to find the place The TARDIS had been sold to. "He _sold _our bloody spaceship!" I breathed in a few times sharply, "And this heat is making me feel like shit."

"Yeah, nice one, Doctor." Martha muttered as we approached the home of Caecilius and his family.

"Oh just shutup." The Doctor muttered as he, Donna and Martha walked into the house as I leaned against the wall outside.

"Heat." I hissed.

"Don't worry, it'll be a cold star one day." Someone laughed. My head quickly spun round to see a young man next to me, only about 16, 17? He had brown floppy hair and wore a black t shirt and suit trousers, smiling at me. I looked at his wrist to see a vortex minipulator strapped to his wrist which he then raised and waved at me with his hand.

I groaned, "Vortex minipulator what a surprise." I took a look at his face again and frowned. "Hang on," I turned and leaned my arm against the wall to look at him properly. "You look a lot like that boy I met on the Titanic."

The man frowned then blinked at me, "Original or Max Capricorn?"

"Max Capricorn." I said immediately.

His face relaxed and he almost rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sorry about my brother." He laughed. "Hero." He held out his hand. I stared at it, before shaking it slowly.

"You sure you're allowed to tell me you name?" I raised a eyebrow at him.

"What makes you say that?" He laughed.

"Well, looks like you're messing with timelines. Your clothing."

"It's only a title." He smirked. "I'm not ruining anything."

"So, Hero," I began slowly. "How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for the little shit that bothered you on the Titanic." He smirked again. "What happened, after you met him?"

"Last time I saw him, he was attacking a Host with a wooden stick." I clenched slightly. "I ran, I'm sorry." His face darkened slightly before looking around suddenly to see a man in robes walking towards the house with guards. He quickly took my hand and pulled me around the corner as the man entered the house.

"What did he say?"

"To tell River Song that Melody Malone was a success." I stuttered as the man stared at me in shock. "Although he didn't seem very happy about it." The man quickly put coordinates into his vortex minipulator, gave me a kiss on the cheek and dissapeared into thin air. I blinked a few times before walking into the house to find The Doctor.

...

"They're laughing at us." I stepped next to The Doctor, watching as the man in the robes stood talking to a couple, a boy of about 16 and a young, sick girl in a yellow dress came walking towards us. "Those two, they use words like tricksters, they're mocking us."

"What have you done now?" I hissed to The Doctor, Donna and Martha.

"Didn't you feel the earthquake?" Martha asked quietly.

"No." I frowned as The Doctor stared at me for a second before turning his attention back to the girl.

"No, no, no. I meant no offence." The Doctor said.

"I'm sorry, my daughter's been consuming the vapours." The woman said.

"Oh for gods, mother, what have you been doing to her?" The teenage boy exclaimed.

"Not now, Quintus."

"Yeah but she's sick, just look at her!" Quintus shouted, pointing to the girl, who I presume was his sister.

"I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift." The man in the robes said bitterly.

"Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood. They say she has remarkable visions." The woman said proudly.

"The prophecies of women are limited and dull, only the menfolk have the capacity for true perception."

"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate." Donna said sarcastically as there was another loud roar from the mountain.

"The Mountain God marks your words. I'd be careful, if I were you." The man in the robes spat.

"Consuming the vapours, you said?" Martha asked.

"They give me strength." The girl said weakly.

"It doesn't look like it to me." The Doctor agreed, sharing a nod with Martha.

"Is that your opinion... as doctors?"

"I beg your pardon?" They asked in unison.

"Doctor, that's your name." She said to The Doctor. "And you will soon become one." She said to Martha.

"How did you know that?" The Doctor asked, taken aback.

"And you... you call yourself Noble." She said to Donna.

"Now then, Evelina, don't be rude." Her mother snapped.

"No, no, no, no, let her talk." I said calmly.

"You all come from so far away." Evelina said, dazed.

"The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries." The man in robes snapped.

"Oh, not this time, Lucius. No, I reckon you've been out-soothsayed." The Doctor said.

"Is that so... man from Gallifrey?"

"What?"

"Strangest of images... your home is lost in fire, is it not?"

"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna and Martha asked.

"And you, daughters of... London." Lucius said before looking at me. "And the child of time who lost her babies." I squeezed my eyes shut.

"How does he know that?" Donna gasped.

"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth."

"That's impossible." Martha shook her head.

"Doctor... she is returning."

"Who is? Who's she?" The Doctor asked.

"Daughter of London..." He looked at Donna. "There is something on your back."

"What's that mean?" Donna asked, scared.

"Even the word 'doctor' is false." Evelina said. "Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars, in the Cascade of Medusa herself. You are a Lord, sir. A Lord... of Time." Suddenly, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed, falling to the floor.

...

Me and Martha leaned against the outside of the house as the stars twinkled. I watched my breath in the cool night air as I stared at the place that Hero stood before he teleported off.

"Do you think he was predicting the future?" Martha asked quietly. "With you? Are you going to get your children stolen by aliens or something."

"No." I laughed sadly.

Martha frowned, "Is there something you're not telling me? Are you pregnant?"

I shook my head, "You're the second person to ask me that today."

"Flo?"

I turned and looked and my best friend, blinking back the tears. "Thing is, before I met the Doctor, I was with this guy, Jasper. We weren't together very long, and nothing actually happened with us. He left me, for this girl, called Macey Granger, and the day I found The Doctor the second time I was on my way to see my friend Lizzie. It's funny, I hadn't known any of them that long. I'd grown up with Amy, Rory and Mels. I'd only met them because they happened to be in the pub I went to after meeting The Doctor for the first time."

"Right..."

"They were all under false names. Well, Jasper and Lizzie anyway."

"How do you-"

"They're Clyde and Maria. In the future."

"But what has this got to do with being pregnant?"

"I was ill, just before, and Macey, Jasper and Lizzie all made me go to the hospital to get checked out."

"Flo, what is it?"

"I can't have children, Martha." I whispered.

...

"She didn't mean to be rude, she's ever such a good girl." Metella said as me, Martha and Donna watched her unwrapping the bandage on Evelina's arm as she slept. "But when the gods speak through her..."

"What's wrong with her arm?" Donna asked as Metella took off the bandage to reveal her arm turning to stone.

"Irritation of the skin. She never complains, bless her. We bathe it in olive oil every night. Evelina said you'd come from far away. Please, have you ever seen anything like…?" Martha reached, forward, brushing her arm.

"It looks like Petrifold Regression." I whispered to her.

Martha nodded back at me. "It's stone."

...

Me and Martha watched back as Evelina and Donna talked when Martha smiled at me symapthetically.

"Don't tell him." I said sadly.

"Caecilius, all of you! Get out!" We quickly span round to see The Doctor burst in, shouting.

"Doctor! What is it?" Donna gasped.

"I think we're being followed. Just get out!" But before we had a chance to move, the grill of the vapours flew across the room and a huge, rock like creature emerged.

"The gods are with us." Evelina said.

"It's a Pyrovile!" I gasped.

"Water! We need water! Quintus, all of you, get water! Donna!" Everyone started running around to get water as me and The Doctor started, stunned as one of the servants stepped in front of the Pyrovile

"Blessed are we to see the gods." He gapsed before the Pyrovile blew fire at him, burning him to dust. The Doctor ran forward, stepping between it and the family.

"Talk to me, that's all I want!" He shouted at it. "Talk to me, you just tell me you are. Don't hurt these people! Talk to me! I'm the Doctor, just tell me who you are." He demanded as Quintus and a servant ran in, throwing the water over the Pyrovile. It's fire burnt out and the whole thing collapsed, shattering into pieces of rock.

"What was it?" Caecilius asked.

"Carapace of stone, held together by internal magma, not too difficult to stop. But I reckon that's just the foot soldier." The Doctor shrugged.

"Doctor, or whatever your name is, you bring bad luck on this house." Metella snapped.

"I thought your son was brilliant, aren't you gonna thank him?" Martha scoffed. Metella and Caecilius looked at each other before hugging.

"Still... If there are aliens at work in Pompeii, it's a good thing we stayed." The Doctor said as I looked round the room frowning.

"We've lost Donna." I muttered casually.

...

"You fought her off with a water pistol. I bloody love you!" Donna gapsed as we jumped down through the grills. That was fun, saving Donna from the Pyroviles, nothing like a bunch of aliens using a volcano to restart a species.

"This way!" The Doctor said, pulling us off through the underground.

"Where are we going now?" Martha asked.

"Into the volcano."

"No way." Donna said.

"Yes way. Appian way!" I laughed.

"But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it all right, for you to stop it?"

"Still part of history." I said as we ran.

"But I'm history to you. You saved me, in 2008, you saved us all. Why's that different?"

"Some things are fixed, some things are in flux. Pompeii is fixed."

"How do you know which is which?"

"I don't." I said, looking at The Doctor. "He does."

"That's how I see the universe." The Doctor said to Donna as we stopped. "Every waking second, I can see what is, what was, what could be, what must not. That's the burden of the Time Lord, Donna. And I'm the only one left."

"How many people died?" Donna asked.

"Stop it."

"Doctor, how many people died?"

"20,000." I sighed, squeezing The Doctor's hand.

"Is that what you can see, Doctor? All 20,000? And you think that's all right, do you?" There was a sudden loud howl.

"They know we're here. Come on!" The Doctor said, pulling us off again.

...

"It's the heart of Vesuvius. We're right inside the mountain." The Doctor said as we approached a cave.

"There's tons of them." Donna whispered as we watched dozens of Pyroviles.

"What's that thing?" Martha asked, nodding at a big round boulder in the middle of the cave. The Doctor quickly pulled a telescope out of his inside pocket, taking a look at it.

"See, Donna?" I grinned at her. "Pockets." She scowled back at me playfully.

"Oh, you better hurry up and think of something, Rocky fall's on its way." She hissed.

"That's how they arrived." The Doctor whispered, putting the telescope away. "Or what's left of it. Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene bank?"

"But why do they need a volcano? Maybe... it erupts, and they launch themselves back into space or something?"

"Oh, it's worse than that."

"How could it be worse?" There was another sudden howl. "Doctor, it's getting closer."

"Heathens!" We looked up to see Lucius on the other side of the cave, watching us. "Defile us! They would desecrate your temple, My Lord Gods!"

"Come on!" I shouted, running towards the middle of the cave and up to the boulder.

"We can't go in!" Donna said breathlessly.

"Well, we can't go back!" The Doctor said.

"Crush them! Burn them!" Lucius shouted as Pyroviles started heading towards us. I ran, bolting around their legs and ducking, not looking back and straight into the boulder. I quickly looked at the switches and controls, half listening to The Doctor arguing with Lucius when I stuck my head back out the door.

"But if you've crashed, and you've got all this technology, why don't you just go home?" Donna shouted.

"The Heaven of Pyrovillia is gone." Lucius said bitterly.

"What d'you mean, 'gone'? Where's it gone?" I shouted.

"It was taken. Pyrovillia is lost. But there is heat enough in this world for a new species to rise."

"Yeah, I should warn you, it's 70% water out there." Martha laughed.

"Water can boil. And everything will burn."

"Then the whole planet is at stake. Thank you. That's all I needed to know." He grabbed Martha and Donna and pulled them into the pod, sealing the door with the sonic.

"Could we be any more trapped?" Donna said breathlessly as we looked back at the controls. "Little bit hot." She said as we listened to the fire being blown at us from outside.

"See? The energy converter takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix, which welds Pyrovile to human. Now it's complete, they can convert millions." The Doctor said nervously to me.

"But can't you change it? With these controls?" Martha asked.

"Course I can, but don't you see?" The Doctor asked. Martha and Donna stared back at us blankly and I sighed.

"That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano." I said. "There IS no volcano. Vesuvius is never gonna erupt. The Pyrovile are stealing all its power, and they use it to take over the world."

"But... you can change it back?" Donna asked.

"I can invert the system, set off the volcano, and blow them up, yes. But… that's the choice, Donna. It's Pompeii or the world."

"Oh, my God."

"If Pompeii is destroyed then it's not just history. It's me. I make it happen."

"But the Pyrovile are made of rocks, maybe they can't be blown up."

"Vesuvius explodes with the force of 24 nuclear bombs. Nothing can survive it. Certainly not us." Martha said darkly, looking at the switches.

"Never mind us." Donna said sadly.

"Push this lever and it's over. 20,000 people." The Doctor said as the three of us put our hands onto the lever. The Doctor stared, a little uncertain when Donna put her hands on top of ours and pressed down.

...

By the time everything stopped erupting, the door to the pod flew open and we stepped out, just on the outside of town.

"It was an escape pod." The Doctor said as he grabbed us and pulled us through the town as ash fell to the ground and people screamed, panicking.

Then I stopped in the street. And I saw him. Bolting towards me, Hero grabbed onto my arms and looked me in the eyes.

"You have to pass on his message to River Song, ok?" He said quickly. "PROMISE ME!"

"I promise." I whispered before he turned and ran off.

...

Me and Martha ran into The TARDIS and I pulled the scanner around as I listened to Caecilius's shouts. The Doctor turned and walked into the TARDIS as Donna followed, screaming at him.

"You can't just leave them!" Donna screamed as The Doctor pulled the materilization lever and the time rotor began to move.

"Don't you think I've done enough? History's back in place and everyone dies." The Doctor snapped.

"You've got to go back! Doctor, I'm telling you, take this thing back!" She paused. "It's not fair." She added quietly.

"No, it's not."

"But your own planet... It burned."

"That's just it. Don't you see, Donna? Can't you understand? If I could go back and save them then I would, but I can't. I can never go back, I can't. I just can't, I can't."

"Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone." She sobbed.

And just as I was about to say something, Martha interupted.

"If The Master got to survive the Time War, why can't someone survive this?" She asked, slightly bitter.

...

So he went back. And here we were, looking over Pompeii burning.

"It's never forgotten, Caecilius." The Doctor said. "Oh, time will pass, men will move on, and stories will fade. But one day, Pompeii will be found, again. In thousands of years. And everyone will remember you."

"What about you, Evelina? Can you see anything?" Donna asked.

"The visions have gone." She mumbled.

"The explosion was so powerful it cracked open a rift in time. Just for a second. That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative. But not any more. You're free." The Doctor said with a smile.

"But tell me, who are you, Doctor? With your words, and your temple containing such size within?" Metella asked.

"Oh, we were never here. Don't tell anyone."

"The great god Vulcan must be enraged! It's so volcanic. It's like some sort of... volcano. All those people." Caecilius choked on his words.

...

"How did you know you wouldn't be pregnant?" Maria asked as we sat on the sofa in the attic, wrapped in a duvet as we watched Clyde and Luke asleep on the floor.

"I can't have children." I mumbled.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, holding my hand.

"Hey, it's fine, I have you guys." I sighed.

"We're all gonna be ok, aren't we?"

"Ok course sweetie." I whispered, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

**Please Review!**


	4. The Birth Of Flo Smith

"So, The TARDIS has a room, just filled with junk?" Donna asked Martha as the three of us walked through The TARDIS hallways.

Martha laughed, "Pretty much. It's like a attic, or a basement."

"It's mainly filled with old photos." I smiled as we approached the red wooden door.

"Oh those I would like to see." Donna said as we walked in. Martha and I lead Donna through the boxes and furniture piled high to the ceiling, towards the back of the room. "Is that the Mona Lisa?!"

"Oh he was a great man." I laughed. "He painted a second copy for me."

"Bet Rose wasn't happy." Martha mumbled.

"She wasn't. He loved you though, Martha." Donna frowned at us as we reached the end of the room. Martha and Donna plonked themselves down on the sofa as I sat down on the floor, pulling over a box filled with photos. "Let me tell you Donna, there's never enough times you can go visit Leo."

"He's a lovely man." Martha said to Donna as I opened up the box, pulling out the first photo album. "Very talented dancer, believe it or not."

"Who's that?" Donna asked, nodding at the picture on the first page of the album. The picture was in the console room, with it's original theme, white panels and a smaller time rotor. Infront of the scanner stood The Doctor in his first regeneration, Barbara, Ian and Susan. "Is that The Doctor?" She gasped.

"Yes." I giggled. "And his first companions Barbara and Ian." I pointed at both of them.

"And who's that?" She frowned, nodding at Susan.

"That's Susan." I said with a sad smile. "She left The TARDIS a long time ago, fell in love with a freedom fighter in the 22nd century." I flicked over the pages, looking at different pictures as we laughed at The Doctor in his second and third incarnations when we came across a picture of him in his fourth incarnation with... my Mum.

"Who's that woman?" Donna asked.

"That's my Mum." I grinned. "Long time before I met her."

"You said you'd explain that to me!" Donna said. "The first time we met, you said if we ever met again you'd explain how you 'met your Mum'."

I giggled at that, and began to explain everything between me and Sarah Jane Smith.

"But what about your real Mum?" Donna asked.

"Never knew her." I shrugged. "I could use The TARDIS I guess, but I'm happy enough." I smiled and blinked a few times as everything turned blurry.

I opened my eyes again and found myself in a surburban street, staring at The TARDIS materializing away. I knew it wasn't my Doctor, The TARDIS looked too young. I span around quickly to see Mum, a lot younger, watching The TARDIS dissapear. This must be the day he left her in Aberdeen.

"Mum?" I said quietly. She looked me directly in the eyes and her jaw dropped, as if she hadn't seen me.

"Where did you appear from?" She demanded. I stared back, shocked, and then suddenly, for some reason, and I don't know why, we both screamed.

...

"What is that?" Mum asked. We sat in a big white room, staring at a wall with metal grating over some controls. We'd woken up a few minutes earlier to find we'd been here 9 months... in compressed time. From the outside world, we'd probably been here only 9 hours. Mum glanced at the bundle of blankets sitting next to her making gurgling noises before looking back at the grating.

"It's a paradox machine." I said calmly.

"What's going on?" She asked, letting a small sob escape.

"They, whoever they are, took your DNA, and you had a baby."

She stared at me, stunned. "How?"

"You take a sample of diploid cells, split them into haploids, then recombine them in a different arrangement, making you biological mother and father." I sighed. "And I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those things we don't understand what's happening for years to come." She leant over and picked up the baby, holding her to her chest. "Don't be scared Sarah Jane. Because I can't deal with you being scared, because I'm fucking terrified. My whole life only happened because of my actions in the future... or past or now, it's all wibbly wobbly timey wimey!" Suddenly there was a blue light surrounding the room.

"What's that?" Mum asked nervously.

"Teleport pads, I believe." I said, taking the baby out of her arms. "I'm so sorry."

...

"And that was the paradox machine. I always thought my mother had abandoned me, but she hadn't, I'd made my own life. Bloody time travel. I knew the teleport also would have worked as a memory block on Mum, and it wouldn't ware off for a long time. Not until present day for me anyway." I sighed, ignoring the aliens walking around me as I sat at the bar, a glass clutched in my hand.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to The TARDIS before Donna and Martha go freaking out that you've dissapeared out of thin air?" I looked up at Hero, sitting next to me, taking a swig of beer.

"Yeah, yeah." I sighed. "So, Hero, how is that a title?"

"Well, like The Doctor." He shrugged. "Now go on, go. Toddle off. I'll see you soon, I promise."

"Bye, you." I smirked before teleporting off.

**A/n - Ok, this could have been a lot better than I was planning on it being, but it's a chapter I had to get out of the way as soon as possible. I should have also put a note on last chapter about the whole infertility thing, it wasn't originally planned. I had a whole subplot sorted out, and I lost concentration and typed a whole different subplot instead, and it's just stayed like that, it gave me a whole load of painful and upsetting ideas to write, it makes thing more interesting. God, I'm a bitch, lolololol. And there's going to be a lot more Hero around. So, yeah, enjoy. Please Review, just so I know people are reading :(**


	5. Planet Of The Ood

"Set the controls to random." The Doctor span round a control, grinning at Donna as Martha and I leant against the console. "Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide…. Are you all right?" The Doctor asked, looking at her expression.

"Terrified. I mean history's one thing, but an alien planet!" She replied as I smirked at Martha.

"I could always take you home."

"Yeah, don't laugh at me."

"I know what it's like. Everything you're feeling right now." Martha said.

"The fear, the joy, the wonder, I get that!" I said, walking over to The Doctor who was nodding in agreement.

"Seriously? After all this time?" She asked the both of us.

"Yeah. Why do you think we keep going?" The Doctor said.

"Oh! All right then, you and me both! This is barmy!" She exclaimed, heading towards the door. I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever done package holidays. And now I'm here. This is so… I mean it's…. I don't know, it's all sort of, I don't know what the word is!" She opened the doors and stepped out as we followed, looking across the snowy landscape. "I've got the word. Freezing!"

"Snow!" The Doctor grinned. "Aw, real snow! Proper snow at last! That's more like it, lovely. What do you think?"

"Bit cold." Donna said, shivering.

"Look at that view!" I grinned at the snow mountains and ice bridges.

"Yep. Beautiful, cold view." Donna said sharply, making Martha laugh.

"Millions of planets, millions of galaxies and we're on this one. Molto bene! Belissimo! Says Donna. Born in Chiswick. All you've got is a life of work and sleep, and telly and rent and tax and takeaway dinners, all... birthdays and Christmases and two weeks holiday here, and then you end up here! Donna Noble. Citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How 'bout that Donna?" The Doctor asked, looking back to see Donna shutting The TARDIS door wearing a big fluffy coat.

"Sorry, you were saying?" She asked.

"Better?" I asked.

"Lovely, thanks."

"Comfy?" Martha asked.

"Yep."

"Can you hear anything inside that?" The Doctor laughed.

"Pardon?" She giggled.

"All right, I was saying, citizen of the Earth…" Suddenly there was a load roar above us. We quickly looked up to see a red rocket flying up above us.

"Rocket! Blimey, a real proper rocket. Now that's what I call a spaceship. You've got a box; he's got a Ferrari! Come on, lets go see where it's going!" Donna gasped before following after it. I rolled my eyes and watched as The Doctor and Martha followed after her. I turned back, quickly pulling on the door of The TARDIS to make sure it was locked before turning round to be nose to nose with someone very familiar. I let out a small yelp.

"HERO!" I gasped and stepped back, laughing as I leaned against The TARDIS doors. He smiled and held out his hand to me. I entwined my fingers with his and he pulled me down the hill, walking in silence of the direction that The Doctor went.

"Where are we?" I asked after a few minutes.

"The Ood Sphere." He said with a smile.

"Ah, love an Ood."

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok, after everything with Sarah Jane."

"Yeah, I'm fine." I smiled weakly at him. "Did you ever find your brother?"

"J?" He asked. "I'll find him soon." He smiled, shaking his head.

"When we were in Pompeii, you panicked and teleported off. Did you go where you needed to go."

"I went to find J, never found him."

"I should have gone back." I stammered quickly. "I should have gone to found him, I-"

Hero laughed, "He's not dead, Flo. I can sense him, he's alive, somewhere, little bugger."

...

"Where is he?" Me and Hero walked through the complex, trying to find the others when we came face to face with The Doctor, Martha arguing with a black woman, a staff member of Ood Operartions. "What part of the complex? I could help, with the red-eye, now show me!" He demanded.

"Not red eye again!" I groaned as we approached them casually.

"Take your time to catch up!" The Doctor said sarcastically. "Hero." He said, nodding at him.

"Wait, hang on, you know each other?"

"We met in Pompeii."

I turned to Hero, raising an eyebrow at him sarcastically. "And you never thought it necessary to mention this?"

"Redeye?" Hero said, nodding back at the woman.

"There. Beyond the red section." The woman said, pointing at a part of the map being held out by Martha.

"Come with me. You've seen the warehouse, you can't agree with all this. You know this place better than me, you could help." The Doctor begged. She stared back at him for a few seconds.

"They're over here! Guards! They're over here!" She shouted. The Doctor just stared at her in disgust before we all ran off.

"Oh, can you hear it? I didn't need the map, I should've listened." The Doctor said as he soniced the door.

"That's so sad." Hero mumbled, walking off through the small kind of sewer room we were in.

"Hold on. Does that mean we're locked in?" Donna asked.

"Listen. Listen, listen, listen, listen..." The Doctor said. "Oh, my head!"

"What is it?" Martha asked.

"Can't you hear it? The singing?" We all turned round slowly to see Hero crouching down in front of a cage with several Ood inside.

"They look different to the others." I whispered.

"That's because they're natural-born Ood, unprocessed, before they're adapted to slavery. Unspoilt." Hero said bitterly as we approached the cage.

"That's their song." The Doctor said.

"I can't hear it." Donna said.

"D'you want to?"

"Yeah."

"It's the song of captivity."

"Let me hear it."

"Open your mind, that's it. Hear it, Donna. Hear the music." He put her finger tips to her temples and there was silence as she started to cry.

"Take it away!" She chocked.

"Sure?"

"I can't bear it." He took his hands away and she quickly wiped the tears away as me and Martha shared a look. "I'm sorry."

"It's OK."

"But you can still hear it?"

"All the time." He whispered, taking my hand and squeezing it when suddenly there was a bang. We looked round to see Hero stepping into the cage, a hole in the lock gone as he put a sonic blaster into his belt.

"They're breaking in." Donna said as there was another bang from the door.

"Ah, let them." The Doctor said, pulling us into the cage and kneeling down to the Ood. "What are you holding? Show me. Friend. Doctor Donna. Friend." He said calmly to one. "Let me see... Look at me... Let me see. That's it. That's it, go on. Go on..." It creeped closer to him and it opened his palms, showing a small brain connected to some sort of umbilical cord.

"Is that...?"

"It's a brain." Martha whispered.

"A hind brain." Hero confirmed. "The Ood are born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotions." He explained to Donna. "You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna any more. You'd be like an Ood, a processed Ood."

"So the company... cuts off their brains?" She gasped.

"And they stitch on the translator!" The Doctor said angrily.

"Like a lobotomy. I spent all that time looking for you, Doctor, Flo, because I thought it would be so wonderful out here... I want to go home." There was a final loud thud and the door swung open.

"They're with the Ood, sir." A guard said as a crowd of them came rushing in.

"What you gonna do, then?" The Doctor shouted as Hero slammed the cage shut. "Arrest us? Lock us up? Throw us in a cage? Well, you're too late! Hah!"

...

Well, at least the pipes were warm.

"Why don't you just come out and say it? FOTO activists!" Mr Halpen said to The Doctor as he and Donna were handcuffed to one set of pipes and me, Hero and Martha handcuffed to another set in the corner of the room.

"If that's what Friends Of The Ood are trying to prove, yes!" The Doctor shouted back.

"The Ood were nothing without us, just animals roaming around on the ice."

"That's because you can't hear them." I snapped. He looked at me, sneered, before looking back at The Doctor.

"They welcomed it! It's not as if they put up a fight."

"You idiot! They're born with their brains in their hands. Don't you see, that makes them peaceful! They've got to be, cos a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets." Donna shouted.

"Oh, nice one." The Doctor praised her, grinning.

"Thank you!"

"The system's worked for 200 years. All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection is about to be sterilised." Halpen turned to the intercom. "Mr Kess? How do we stand?"

"Canisters primed, sir. As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it 200 marks and counting." A voice replied.

"You're gonna gas them?!" Martha screeched.

"Kill the livestock. The classic foot-and-mouth solution from the olden days. Still works." Halpen smirked.

"You bastard." Hero said bitterly as an alarm wailed through the room. Halpen frowned and left the room as Hero yanked forward, trying to break out of the cuffs with a huff when Halpen walked back in with the scientist, Dr Ryder.

"Change of plan." Haplen said.

"There are no reports of trouble off-world, sir, it's still contained to the Ood-Sphere." Dr Ryder reported.

"Then we've got a public duty to stop it before it spreads."

"What's happening?" The Doctor asked.

"Everything you wanted, Doctor. No doubt there'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilised, so I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood."

"But Mr Halpen, there's something else, isn't there? Something we haven't seen!" I shouted.

"What d'you mean?" Donna asked.

"A creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hind brain, they'd be at war with themselves. There's got to be something else, a third element, am I right?"

"And again, so clever!"

"But it's got to be connected to the red-eye, what is it?" The Doctor agreed.

"'It' won't exist for very much longer. Enjoy your Ood." He turned and left with Dr Ryder, leaving us chained.

You have no many times The Doctor and Donna screamed "Doctor, Donna friends!" and "The circle must be broken!" at the Ood to stop them. They didn't notice me, Martha and Hero though, which worried me a bit.

...

"I don't know where it is! I don't know where they've gone!" The Doctor said as we ran through the snowy battlefield.

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked.

"Might be underground, like some sort of cave, or a cavern, or..."

"Warehouse 15." Hero said as we stopped in the snow, all looking at each other.

"How did you know that?!"

"You told me!" Hero exclaimed. "Do we really have time for this?!"

...

"The Ood Brain." The Doctor said as we walked across the bridge. "Now it all makes sense, that's the missing link, the third element, binding them together. Forebrain, hind brain, and this - the telepathic centre. It's a shared mind, connecting all the Ood in song."

"Cargo." We span round to see Halpen pointing a gun at us with Dr Ryder with him. "I can always go into cargo. I've got the rockets, I've got the sheds. Smaller business, much more manageable, without livestock."

"He's mined the area." Ryder said.

"They're gonna kill it?" Donna gasped, looking at the brain around an electrical field.

"They found that...thing centuries ago beneath the Northern Glacier." Halpen said.

"Those pylons." I whispered.

"In a circle. 'The circle must be broken.'" Martha gulped.

"Damping the telepathic field. Stopping the Ood from connecting for 200 years." Hero spat.

"And you, Ood Sigma, you brought them here. I expected better." Halpen said to Ood Sigma.

"My place is at your side, sir." Sigma said.

"Ha-ha! Still subservient. Good Ood."

"If that barrier thing's in place, how come the Ood started breaking out?" Donna asked.

"Maybe it's taken centuries to adapt. The subconscious reaching out." The Doctor suggested.

"But the process was too slow." Dr Ryder said. "Had to be accelerated. You should never give me access to those controls, Mr Halpen." Ryder stepped away, glaring at his boss. "I lowered the barrier to its minimum. Friends Of The Ood, sir. It's taken me ten years to infiltrate the company. And I succeeded."

"Yes. Yes, you did." Halpen smiled before pushing him over the banister. Ryder screamed out as we watched him being sucked in by the brain.

"You... murdered him!" Donna gasped as The Doctor put a protective arm around Martha as she shook her head in sadness.

"Very observant, Ginger. Now, then... can't say I've ever shot anyone before. Can't say I'm gonna like it. But it's not exactly a normal day, is it? Still..."

"Would you like a drink, sir?" Sigma asked.

"I think hair loss is the least of my problems right now, thanks."

He stepped between us and Halpen. "Please have a drink, sir."

"If... If you're going to stand in their way, I'll shoot you too."

"Please have a drink, sir."

Halpen started to shake and choke. "Have... Have you... poisoned me?"

"Natural Ood must never kill, sir."

"What is that stuff?" Hero asked.

"Ood-graft suspended in a biological compound, sir."

"What the hell does that mean?!" Halpen demanded.

"Oh, dear..." The Doctor said.

"Tell me!"

"Funny thing, the subconscious. Takes all sorts of shapes." I said calmly. "Came out in the red-eye as revenge. Came out in the rabid Ood as anger. And then, there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy, focused on Ood Sigma. How's the hair loss, Mr Halpen?"

He touched his head and strands of hair started to come out, "What have you done?"

"Oh, they've been preparing you for a very long time. And now you're standing next to the Ood Brain. Mr Halpen, can you hear it? Listen..." The Doctor said.

"What have you...? I'm...not...!" He dropped the gun and bowed forward as the skin peeled from his head, tentacles grew from his face and the brain popped out into his hands.

"They... They turned him into an Ood?!" Donna gasped.

"Yep." The Doctor shrugged.

"He's an Ood."

"I noticed."

"He has become Oodkind. And we will take care of him." Sigma said.

"It's weird, being with you, I can't tell what's right and what's wrong any more." Donna said.

"It's better that way. People who know for certain tend to be like Mr Halpen." The Doctor said.

"Thank you Sigma." I smiled as the detonators started to beep. The Doctor and Hero reached over to the side, turning them off.

"That's better. And now... Sigma, would you allow me the honour?"

"It is yours, Doctor." Sigma said. The Doctor yanked on one of the controls of the computer and the electric field turned off with a buzz.

"Oh, yes! Stifled for 200 years, but not any more. The circle is broken. The Ood can sing!"

"I can hear it!" Donna grinned.

...

I leaned against The TARDIS in the snowy landscape as me and Hero watched the Ood walk away from us.

"You're not gonna see me for a while." Hero said, looking down at his feet.

"Why?"

"I've gotta go find J."

"Do you want some help?"

"It's alright, best not. He's hurting. And I think right now, he needs me more than he realises. Doesn't even know I'm looking for him."

"Be careful, yeah?"

"Yeah."

_**Ok kid, this is where it gets complicated...**_

**A/n - Ok, sorry for such a long time since updating! OK GUYS THIS IS WHERE EVERYTHING STARTS TO GET SERIOUS. And this is an official announcement! Flo Smith will leave The TARDIS by the end of this series.**


	6. The Sontaran Strategem

"I'll get it!" I shouted through the house as I walked into the attic, picking up the home phone and answering it. "Hello?"

"Miss Smith?" A man's voice asked.

"Um, depending which one you want really."

"Miss Flo Smith?"

"Yeah, that's me."

"This is Cornel Mace."

I turned and leaned against Mum's desk, frowning. "From UNIT?"

"Yes. We're undergoing a investigation of the ATMOS system and we need a expert to work along side and bring in Doctor Jones."

"But, hang on, why me?"

"Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart asked for you especially."

"Sir Alistair? Oh, right." I frowned. "Does that mean I have to become UNIT staff?"

"Well, yes. But we can rush that through for you."

"Ok then." I laughed.

"Ma'am."

"Did you just salute?"

"...No."

...

"So, you're going to go in all guns blazing?" I asked as me and Cornel Mace stood in the UNIT truck, looking at the plans across the screen whilst I attached my UNIT badge to my leather jacket. "Well, I suppose that's one strategy, but don't humiliate them, they're still human."

"You say that as if you're not human yourself?" Cornel Mace frowned.

"It's just a habit, travelling with The Doctor, you end up classifying that humans aren't the only species, that's all." I shrugged. "Anyway, where's the Brigadier?"

"I'm here." I turned round and in the doorway stood the Brigadier, grinning. I ran forward and hugged him tightly, smiling. I pulled back and smiled at him.

"Hello Brigadier."

...

"ATMOS." I muttered, picking it up and turning it over in my palms, examining it. I looked down next to my phone as it was on loud speaker to Mr Smith. I turned and leant against the table, looking at the Brigadier. "How long has it been since Martha dropped home for a visit?"

"About, 8 months?" The Brigadier shrugged.

"I'm going to kill him!" I groaned.

The Brigadier laughed quietly. "She knows what his driving's like. She knows he'll come back for her at some point."

"How's she doing?"

"UNIT rushed through everything for her, she's now a Doctor. She's engaged as well."

I grinned, "Oh Nightingale, you little minx." I whispered.

...

"I can't believe him, 8 months!" I shook my head as me and Martha stood at the end of the alleyway. We quickly turned round as The TARDIS materialized at the end of the alleway. The door opened and The Doctor's head popped out with a grin before Donna appeared behind him.

...

"What are you searching for?" The Doctor asked as the three of us walked towards the factory whilst Martha lead the soldiers, shouting out orders.

"Illegal aliens." I coldly.

"They've turned into soldiers." Donna said uneasily, watching me and Martha.

"And she's qualified now? She's a proper doctor." The Doctor said, nodding at Martha.

"UNIT rushed it through given her experience in the field. Here we go." I said as we approached the truck. "We're establishing a field base on site. They're dying to meet you."

"Wish that I could say the same." The Doctor mumbled as we walked into the truck. The Doctor looked round at the office truck, at all the staff sitting at a computer each with a big screen projected onto the wall that everyone was facing as I approached Colonel Mace.

"Operation Blue Sky complete, sir." I told him. "Thanks for letting me and Martha take the lead. And, this is the Doctor. Doctor, Colonel Mace."

"Sir!" Mace saluted.

"Oh, don't salute." He grumbled.

"Well, it's an honour, sir! I've read all the files on you and, technically speaking, you're still on staff. You never resigned."

"What, you used to work for them?" Donna asked.

"Yeah, long time ago." The Doctor nodded. "Back in the 70s. Or was it the 80s? But it was all a bit more homespun back then."

"Times have changed, sir." Mace said.

"Yeah, that's enough of the 'sir'." The Doctor said as Martha walked in.

"Come on now Doctor, you've seen it." She said as she stopped next to him. "You've been on board the Valiant. We've got massive funding from the United Nations. All in the name of home world security."

"A modern UNIT for a modern world." Mace nodded.

"What, and that means arresting ordinary factory workers?" Donna asked. "In the streets, in broad daylight? It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there. Donna, by the way. Donna Noble, since you didn't ask. I'll have a salute."

"Ma'am." He quickly saluted, a little scared, making me smirk.

"Thank you."

"Tell me. What's going on in that factory?" The Doctor asked, taking my hand.

"Yesterday 52 people died in identical circumstances, right across the world, in 11 different time zones. 5am in the UK, 6am in France, 8am in Moscow, 1pm in China." Mace said.

"You mean they died simultaneously."

"Exactly. 52 deaths at the exact same moment, worldwide."

"How did they die?"

"They were all inside their cars."

"They were poisoned. I checked the biopsies, no toxins. Whatever it is, left the system immediately." Martha said.

"What have the cars got in common?" The Doctor asked.

"Completely different makes. They're all fitted with ATMOS. And that, is the ATMOS factory." I said, gesturing to outside.

"What's ATMOS?"

"Oh, come on. Even I know that. Everyone's got ATMOS!" Donna scoffed.

...

"Stands for Atmospheric Omission System." Martha said as we walked along the corridor that overlooked into the factory. "Fit ATMOS in your car, reduces CO2 emissions to zero."

"Zero?! No carbon, none at all?" The Doctor asked in shock.

"Oh yes." Donna nodded. "Sat-nav and 20 quid in shopping vouchers if you introduce a friend. Bargain!"

"And this is where they make it, Doctor." Mace said as we stopped, leaning against the railing, looking down at the empty travelators. "Shipping worldwide. 17 factories across the globe, but this is the central depot, sending ATMOS to every country on Earth."

"And you think ATMOS is alien?"

"It's our job to investigate that possibility. Doctor?" We turned and left, making out way through the factory floor and into an office.

"And here it is, laid bare." I said, leading The Doctor over to the protoype I was looking at before. "ATMOS can be threaded through any and every make of car."

"You must've checked it, before it went on sale." The Doctor said.

"We did, we found nothing. That's why I thought we needed an expert." Martha shrugged.

"Really, who'd you get?" He looked up at Martha and grinned. "Oh, right! Me! Yes! Good."

"OK, so why would aliens be so keen on cleaning up our atmosphere?" Donna asked.

"Very good question."

"Maybe they want to help. Get rid of pollution and stuff."

"Do you know how many cars there are on planet Earth?"

"800 million." I said.

"Imagine that." The Doctor said in awe. "If you could control them, you'd have 800 million weapons."

...

"Ionising nano membrane carbon dioxide converter - which means that ATMOS works." The Doctor said as me, him, Martha and Mace all leaned around the ATMOS. "Filters the CO2 at a molecular level."

"We know all that, but what's its origin? Is it alien?" Mace askede.

"No. Decades ahead of its time. Look, d'you mind, could you stand back a bit?" He asked Mace with a look of unease.

"Sorry, have I done something wrong?"

"You're carrying a gun. I don't like people with guns hanging around me, all right?"

"If you insist." Mace said, turning and leaving the room.

"Tetchy." Martha commented.

"Well, it's true." The Doctor replied.

"He's a good man!" She snapped.

"People with guns are usually the enemy in my books. You seem quite at home."

"If anyone got me used to fight it's you."

"Oh, right, so it's my fault."

"Well, you got me the job! Besides, look at me. Am I carrying a gun? So is Flo. Are we the enemies? What about Solomon? Frank? Tallulah? Lazlo? _Jack?_ What about them?"

"Suppose not." He muttered.

She sighed, "It's all right for you. You can just come and go, but some of us have got to stay behind. You left me behind, that's not your fault! But now I'm back, I'm used to Earth again. So I've got to work from the inside and by staying inside, maybe I stand a chance of making them better."

"Yeah?" He smiled softly at her. "That's more like Martha Jones."

"I learned from the best."

"Well..."

"Oi, you lot!" We all looked up to see Donna leaning against the door frame with Mace. "All your storm troopers and your sonics... You're rubbish! Should've come with me."

"Why, where have you been?" I asked.

"Personnel. That's where the weird stuff's happening - in the paperwork. Cos I spent years working as a temp, I can find my way round an office blindfold, and the first thing I noticed is an empty file." She held up an empty blue folder, raising her eyebrows.

"Why, what's inside it? Or what's not inside it?" The Doctor asked.

"Sick days. There aren't any. Hundreds of people working here and no one's sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip, nothing. Not ever! They don't get ill."

"That can't be right." Mace frowned.

"You've been checking out the building - should've been checking out the workforce."

"Good as ever, Donna." Martha grinned.

"Super temp!"

"Ok, Doctor Jones," I grinned. "Set up a medical post, start examining the workers."

"You need your medical check." Mace said.

My face dropped, "What? Why?"

"Every staff needs a full medical check." Martha laughed, come on, we'll use The TARDIS, it's quicker."

...

"I've missed this place." Martha said, fiddling with the machines in the med bay as she printed off my results.

"I'm sorry we were so long." I sighed, sitting cross legged on the bed.

"It's fine, I know what The Doctor's... driving..." She turned round, reading the paper that had printed off. "... is... like." She gaped at the paper for a few moments, making me frown.

"What is it?"

"You're pregnant." She looked up at me and feebly handed over the piece of paper.

"But I can't be." I whispered, looking at the paper that clearly stated I _was _pregant.

"Flo," I looked up again at Martha grinning at me. "You're pregnant."

"How?!"

"Well, I'm gonna guess-"

"Don't say it!"

"Timelord super sperm." I rolled my eyes and she grinned even more. "I have no idea, but you are. About 6 weeks. So minus the 8 months I've been back on Earth, 6 weeks ago for us was... Christmas."

"Oh my god." I whispered. "I'm pregnant."

...

"D'you think I should warn my mum?" Donna asked as the three of us sat in a room set up for medical inspection. "About the ATMOS in her car?"

"Better safe then sorry." Martha shrugged.

"I'll give her a call."

"Donna. Do they know where you are? Your family. I mean that you're travelling with us and the Doctor?"

"Not really. I didn't have time to explain to Grandad when we waved to him."

"You just left him behind?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't tell my family, kept it all so secret. And it almost destroyed them."

"In what way?"

"They ended up imprisoned. They were tortured. My mum. My dad. My sister. Me and Flo walked the Earth to save them." Martha gave me a small smile. "It wasn't the Doctor's fault, but... you need to be careful. Cos you know the Doctor. He's wonderful. He's brilliant. But he's like fire. Stand too close and people get burnt."

...

"And your name's Trepor, yeah?" Martha asked. I sat on the work surface, watching intently as Martha and I done medical checks on the staff. In front of Martha sat a pale blonde man, staring ahead into space and not blinking. "Is that polish? Listen, we're not checking passports, it's not about that, but did you come across from Poland just to work?"

"I came to do my job." He replied in a monotone voice.

"OK. I need to listen to your heartbeat. This might be a bit cold." She rubbed the stethescope around her neck and nodded to him. "Lift." He lifted his shirt and Martha placed it to his chest. She took it off, frowned then double checked. "Are you on any medication?"

"I'm here to work."

"How many hours a day do you work?" I asked.

"24."

"You work 24 hours a day? Down." Martha nodded at him and he pulled down his top. "Mr Trepor, have you ever had any form of hypnosis?"

"I'm here to work."

"OK. Um, if you could just wait here." I said, sharing a look with Martha. I jumped off the work surface as we left the room.

"Doctor Jones." We looked round to see two soldiers walking towards us.

"Not now, I'm busy." Martha replied.

"Just one question. Do you have security clearance level one?" One of them asked.

"Yes, I do. Why?"

"Colonel Mace wants to see you."

"Oh good, cos I want to see him. Where is he?"

"Come with us." The soldiers began to walk off as Martha turned to me.

"I'm gonna go find the Brigadier, if this is alien I want to make sure he's around, we may need back up." I muttered.

"Be carfeul." Martha nodded.

...

I leaned against the furthest back desk in the truck as the Brigadier sat on a chair next to me as I frowned at the screen projected onto the screen.

"Alistair." I began, flopping down into the empty chair next to him. "You knew The Doctor when he was young yes? In his second incarnation." He nodded. "What did you know about his past?"

"I knew about Susan."

"What about his wife?"

"Ah," He began, shifting in his chair. "He didn't often speak about Gallifrey, and when he did he never mentioned his family." I nodded at him as my phone rang. I smiled at him before pickin gup the phone and answering it.

"Get to Donna's." The Doctor said down the phone before I had a change to say hello. I opened my mouth and shut it again.

"And how do you propose I do that?!" I asked.

"Well don't you have a car."

"Well I did until I started travelling with you!" I began sarcastically. "The first time I visited back home I had to deal with rescuing the boy who became my brother, be adopted and deal with Slitheen, I then didn't get back home until Christmas, and when by the time I got back to Leadworth, nearly a year after leaving, oh what a surprise, my car had been _towed_."

"Borrow a jeep?" He asked, as if he hadn't been listening.

I rolled my eyes, "Ok, be there in 10." I hung up and looked at the Brigadier. "Need a jeep?"

...

I jumped out of the jeep and walked towards Donna's house, where The Doctor stood on the doorstep. We shared a look before The Doctor rang the doorbell. In less than a second the door swung open, with Donna on the other side of the door.

"You would not believe the day I'm having." The Doctor said.

...

Me and Ross both frowned, watching The Doctor bending to look at the ATMOS under Donna's car as Donna had hold of my phone, trying to ring Martha. The Doctor jumped up again, opening the hood and peering inside.

"I'll requisition us a vehicle." Ross said, turning and walking down the street.

"Anything without ATMOS." I shouted after him. "Don't point your gun at people!"

"Is it him? Is it him? Is it the Doctor?" Me and The Doctor looked up to see Donna's grandfather running up to us from round the car. Both of our mouths dropped as we realised who it was, Wilf. "Ah! It's you!"

"Oh! It's you!" Me and The Doctor gasped in unison.

"What, have you met before?!" Donna asked.

"Yeah, Christmas Eve. They disappeared right in front of me!" Wilf said, gesturing with his hands.

"And you never said?!"

"Well you never said! Wilf, sir, ma'am. Wilfred Mott. You must be two of them aliens?!"

"Well - yeah, me, not her, but don't shout it out." He leant forward and shook Wilf's hand. "Nice to meet you properly, Wilf."

"Oh, an alien hand...!" Wilf grinned, looking at his hand.

"Donna, anything?"

"She's not answering." Donna shook her head. "What is it, Sontorans?"

"Sontarans." I said. "But there's got to be more to it, they can't be just remote controlling cars. That's not enough. Is anyone answering?"

"Hold on." She nodded. "Martha! Hold on, they're here." She handed the phone over to me.

"Martha, tell Colonel Mace it's the Sontarans." I said urgently. "They're in the file, Code Red, Sontarans. But if they're inside the factory tell them not to start shooting. UNIT will get massacred. I'll get back as soon as I can, you got that?"

"Code Red Sontaran. Gotcha." Martha replied before hanging up. I stuffed the phone back into my pocket and turned back to the car to see The Doctor sonicing the car.

"But you tried sonicing it before, you didn't find anything." Donna said.

"Yeah, but now I know it's Sontaran, I know what I'm looking for." The Doctor muttered.

"The thing is, Doctor, is that Donna is my only grandchild. You gotta promise me you're gonna take care of her." Wilf said.

"She takes care of us!"

"Oh, yeah that's my Donna. Yeah, she was always bossing us around when she was tiny. The Little General we used to call her."

"Yeah, don't start." Donna hissed.

"And some of the boys she used to turn up with, a different one every week! Yeah, who was that one with the nail varnish?"

"Matthew Richards. He lives in Kilbourn now. With a man." I smiled at her when suddenly, large spikes shot up through the ATMOS device.

"Woah! It's a temporal pocket!" I gasped as me and The Doctor jumped back.

"I knew there was something else in there." The Doctor agreed. "It's hidden just a second out of sync with real time."

"But what's it hiding?" Donna asked.

"I don't know, men and their cars!" I looked round to see Donna's mum walking around the car to us. "Sometimes I think if I was a car..." Her mouth dropped, looking betwen me and The Doctor. "Oh, it's you! Doctor... what was it? And Flo... thingy!"

"Yeah, that's us." The Doctor said, waving from under the bonnet.

"What, have you met them as well?" Wilf asked.

"Dad! It's the couple from the wedding! When you were laid up with Spanish flu! I'm warning you, last time them two turned up it was a disaster!" I winced slightly before a hiss caught my attention. I looked over at the car to see The Doctor jumping back as gas blew out from the spikes.

"Get back!" The Doctor shouted. He wuickly lept forward again, sonicing the ATMOS. "That'll stop it!" He peered under the hood again as the smoke died away.

"I told you! He's blown up the car!" Sylvia complained. "Who is he anyway?! What sort of doctor blows up cars?!"

"Oh, not now Mum!" Donna snapped.

"Oh, should I make an appointment?" Sylvia grumbled, stalking back into the house.

"That wasn't just exhaust fumes..." I said. "Some sort of gas. Artificial gas."

"And it's aliens, is it? Aliens?" Wilf asked.

"But if... if it's poisonous... then we've got poisonous gas in every car on Earth." Donna said as Wilf began to get into the car.

"It's not safe! I'm gonna get it off the street!" He said. Suddenly, the door slammed shut and all the locks clicked into place. The car turned itself on and gas began to pour out from the exhaust pipe.

"Turn it off!" Donna rushed up to the car, yanking on the door. "Granddad, get out of there!"

"I can't! It's not locked! It's them aliens again!"

"They've activated it!" The Doctor said in horror as we looked around at all the cars in the street as they began to emmit gas. The whole street began to cover itself in a white fog as The Doctor tried to sonic the doors of the car.

"There's gas inside the car! He's gonna choke! Doctor!" Donna shouted at him.

"It won't open!" He turned and looked around the street, covered in the fog. "It's the whole world..."

"Get me out of here!" Wilf shouted as The Doctor jogged down the street, staring at all the cars. My legs buckled a bit and I grabbed onto my stomach as it twinged from the pain of the gas.

"DOCTOR!" I screamed.

**Please Review!**


	7. The Poison Sky

"He's gonna choke! Doctor!" Donna gasped. The Doctor turned back round and ran towards the car, leaning underneath and sonicing it furiously. I took a deep breath, trying to stop breathing in the gas.

"It won't open!" He exclaimed. Suddenly, Sylvia came running round the car with an axe and smashed the windscreen. The glass went flying and Wilf covered his face before looking out feebly.

"Well don't just stand there!" Sylvia snapped. "Get him out!"

Sylvia and Donna leaned in, pulling him through the empty windscreen and onto the the pavement.

"I can't believe you've got an axe." Donna said as they helped him towards the door.

"Burglars!"

"Get inside the house!" The Doctor told them. "Just try to close off the doors and windows." He said as a black cab pulled up along side us with Ross driving.

"Flo, Doctor, it's all I could find that hasn't got ATMOS."

"Donna, you coming?" I asked as we got into the cab.

"Yeah." She replied, looking back at her family.

"Donna! Don't go!" Sylvia begged. £Look what happens every time that Doctor and Flo appear, Stay with us, please!"

"You go, my darling." Wilf told her, pushing her away gently.

"Dad!"

"Don't you listen to her! You go with the Doctor and Flo! That's my girl!" Donna jogged up to us and hopped into the cab.

As Ross began to drive away, I pulled out my phone again, placing it to my ear as it rang Mr Smith.

"Listen!" I exclaimed as somebody answered. "Mum, it's the Sontarans!"

"What are Sontarans?" I heard Luke ask.

"Listen, just stay indoors, promise me?"

"Ok." He replied quietly.

"I love you, ok?"

...

The three of us hopped out of the taxi in front of the ATMOS factory that was now covered in fog.

"Ross, look after yourself." The Doctor said to Ross. "Get inside the building."

"Will do." He nodded, driving off.

"The air is disgusting." Donna commented.

"It's not so bad for me." The Doctor said. "Go on, get inside the TARDIS. Oh, I've never given you a key." He reached into his pocket and took out a key with a smile. "Keep that. Go on, it's yours. Quite a big moment, really."

"Yeah." Donna coughed, taking the key from him. "Maybe we can get sentimental after the world's finished choking to death."

"Good idea." The Doctor nodded as he ran towards the factory.

"Where are you going?" Donna called after us as I ran after him.

"To stop a war." I called back, ducking under the barrier and towards the factory.

...

"You can not engage Sontarans in battle!" Me and The Doctor bolted into the truck to find the Brigadier arguing with Mace.

"Right then, here I am, good." The Doctor exclaimed, taking his jacket off and throwing it across the room. "Whatever you do, Col Mace, do not engage the Sontarans in battle. There's nothing they like better than a war. Leave this to me."

"And what are you going to do?" Mace asked.

"I've got the TARDIS. I'm gonna get aboard their ship whilst Flo deals with you lot, ok?" He gave me a quick smile before running over to Martha and pulling her off.

"Right," I nodded at the Brigadier. "You heard him, no war with the Sontarans!"

...

"Change of plans!" The Doctor exclaimed, running back in again.

"Good to have you fighting alongside us, Doctor." Mace nodded at him.

"I'm not-fighting, as in not-hyphen-fighting, got it? Now, does anyone know what this gas is yet?"

"We're working on it." Martha said as Marion Price stood up, letting Martha sit down at her computer.

"It's harmful but not lethal until it reaches 80% density." Price said. "We're having the first reports of deaths from the centre of Tokyo City-"

"And who are you?" The Doctor said.

"Captain Marion Price, sir." She said, saluting quickly.

"Oh, put your hand down. Don't salute." He grumbled.

"Jodrell Bank's traced a signal, Doctor, coming from 5000 miles above the Earth. We're guessing that's what triggered the cars." Mace said as I turned the monitor to show him.

"The Sontaran ship." I said.

"NATO's gone to Defcon 1. We're preparing a strike."

"You can't do that." The Doctor said. "Nuclear missiles won't even scratch the surface. Let me talk to the Sontarans." He muttered, fiddling with the controls of the computer banks.

"You're not authorized to speak on behalf of Earth."

"Of course he's got the authority. He earned it a long time ago." The Brigadier huffed, sinking himself into one of the chairs as The Doctor inserted the sonic into a plug on the panel.

"Calling the Sontaran Command ship..." The Doctor called out clearly. "Under Jurisdiction Two of the Intergalactic Rules of Engagement. "This is the Doctor."

"Doctor, breathing your last?" The screen flickered on and a face of the Sontaran commander appeared.

"My God, they're like trolls." Mace said in horror as I walked over and stood next to The Doctor, frowning at the screen.

"Loving the diplomacy, thanks." The Doctor muttered to Mace before turning back to the screen. "So, tell me, General Staal...since when did you lot become cowards?" He asked, sitting down in his chair and leaning back, putting his feet up.

"How dare you?!" Staal replied in horror.

"That's diplomacy." Mace commented.

"Doctor, you impugn my honour!"

"I'm really glad you didn't say "belittle" 'cause then he'd have a field day." I said.

"But poison gas?" The Doctor asked. "That's the weapon of a coward, and you know it. Staal, you could blast this planet out of the sky and yet you're sitting up above watching it die."

"Where's the fight in that?" I asked.

"Where's the honour? Or are you lot planning something else? This isn't normal Sontaran warfare-what are you lot up to?"

"A general would be unwise to reveal his strategy to the opposing forces." Staal replied.

"Ah, the war's not going so well then. Losing, are you?"

"Such a suggestion is impossible!"

"What war?" Mace asked.

"The war between the Sontarans and the Rutans." I said, looking over at him. It's been raging far out in the stars for 5000 years."

"5000 years of bloodshed." The Doctor said, almost bitterly. "And for what?"

"For victory! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha! Sontar-ha!" Staal cheered.

"Give me a break." The Doctor muttered, taking out his sonic and aiming it at the screen, making it change to a children's cartoon.

"Doctor, I would seriously recommend that this dialogue is handled by official Earth representation." Mace said eagerly as The Doctor soniced it back, returning to the image of Staal.

"Finished?"

"You will not be so quick to ridicule when you see our prize. Behold!" He turned and pointed behind him, where The TARDIS stood. "We are the first Sontarans in history..."

"You better know what you're doing." I hissed.

"...To capture a TARDIS."

"Well...as prizes go, that's...noble." The Doctor nodded as he shared a look with me.

"As they say in Latin "Donna nobis pacem"." I shrugged.

"Did you never wonder about its design? It's a phone box. It contains a phone. A telephonic device for communication. Sort of symbolic. Like if only we could communicate, you and I..." He waggled his fingers between us and the screen.

"All you have communicated is your distress, Doctor." Staal said.

"Big mistake, though, showing it to me. 'Cause I've got a remote control." He grinned, spinning the sonic in his hand.

"Cease transmission!" Staal ordered and the screen went dead. I slipped my phone out of my hand and gave it to The Doctor as I turned back from the screen.

"Oh, well-that achieved nothing." Mace commented blankly.

"You'd be surprised." The Doctor said, standing up and pocketing the sonic.

...

"You ok?" I looked up from leaning against the communication panel and smiled at The Doctor.

"Course I am." I replied.

"You just seem a bit... distracted."

I shook my head, "I'm fine." I laughed. The Doctor nodded at me before we shared a look and walked over to Martha and the Brigadier who were standing by a plastic tube that held the gas. The Doctor frowned at it, snatching the clipboard out of Martha's hand.

"Carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides but 10% unidentified." Martha said immediately. "Some sort of artificial heavy element we can't trace. Ever seen anything like it?"

"Must be something the Sontarans invented." The Brigadier suggested.

"This isn't just poison-they need this gas for something else. But what could that be?" The Doctor muttered.

"Launch grid online and active." Price's voice called over the room. We span round in shock to see she was activating the nuclear weapons.

"Positions, ladies and gentlemen. Defcon 1 initiatives in progress." Mace called out.

"What? I told you not to launch!" The Doctor shouted, rushing over to Mace.

"The gas is at 60% density. At 80%, people start dying. We've got no choice."

"Launching in 60...59, 58..." Price began to count down as The Doctor ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "57, 56... Worldwide nuclear grid now coordinating...54, 53..."

"You're making a mistake, Colonel! For once I hope the Sontarans are ahead of you." The Brigadier scolded.

"North America online. United Kingdom online." The monitor began to show red dots appearing one by one. "France online. India online. Pakistan online. China online. North Korea online. All systems locked and coordinated. Launching in 10,9,8,7,6,5..."

"God save us." Mace whispered.

"4,3,2,1,0." There was silence and the screen went dead.

"What is it? What happened? Did we launch? Well did we?"

"Negative, sir. The launch codes have been wiped, sir. It must be the Sontarans."

"Can we override it?"

"I'm trying it now, sir."

"Missiles wouldn't even dent that ship, so why are the Sontarans so keen to stop you?" The Doctor frowned as he turned to Martha. "Any ideas?"

"How should I know?" Martha frowned.

"Greyhound 40 declaring absolute emergency!" Ross' voice suddenly came blaring through my radio. I unnattached it from my belt and Mace quickly snatched it from me. "Sontarans within factory grounds, east corridor, grid 6!"

"Absolute emergency. Declaring Code Red. All troops, Code Red!" Mace ordered into it.

"Get them out of there." I whispered.

"All troops open fire!"

"The guns aren't working. Inform all troops, standard weapons do not work." Ross begged before a bunch of dying screams came blaring through the radio. "Tell the Doctor it's that cordalaine signal. He's the only one that can stop them." Suddenly, there was a pitching scream then just .

"Greyhound 40, report. Over. Greyhound 40, report. Greyhound 40, report."

"He wasn't Greyhound 40." The Doctor began bitterly. "His name was Ross. Now listen to me, and GET THEM OUT OF THERE!" He screamed. I shook my head darkly at Mace, snatching the radio before opening up the channels to all the soldiers.

"Trap 1 to all stations. Retreat. Order imperative. Immediate retreat!" I ordered as Mace looked over at one of the screens.

"They've taken the factory." Mace said.

"Why? They don't need it. Why attack now? What are they up to?" The Doctor muttered, looking over at me. "Times like this, I could do with your mother. No offence." He said to Mace before looking over at the Brigadier. "Dream team, like the old days, eh?" The Brigadier grinned at him.

"None taken." Mace nodded. "Miss Smith's a fine woman if not the best. But she refuses to work with us."

"I could ring her, if you want?" I suggested.

"NO!" The Doctor and Brigadier in unison.

"No, we're not dragging her into this, my love." The Brigadier said with a smile.

"Launch grid back online." Price announced as the monitor came back to life and within the second, it crashed again. "They're inside the system, sir. It's coming from within UNIT itself."

"Trace it. Find out where it's coming from and quickly." Mace ordered. "Gas levels?"

"66% in major population areas and rising."

...

"Why are they defending the factory only after we're inside?" Mace asked as we leaned over Mace's shoulder, reading some files in the office.

"Because they wanted UNIT here." The Doctor said. "You gave them something they needed. Something now hidden inside the factory. Something precious."

"Then we've got to recover it. This cordalaine signal thing-how does it work?"

"The bullets-it causes expansion in the copper shells."

"Understood. I'm on it." He said, getting up and leaving.

"For the billionth time, you can't fight Sontarans!" The Doctor shouted after him. I got up and followed him, before calling "Donna, now!" over my shoulder to The Doctor.

...

"Latest firing stock." I said, showing The Doctor the guns we'd got. "What do you think, Doctor?"

"Are you my mummy?" The Doctor asked, grinning at me through the gas mask. I bit my lip, grinning as Mace stared at us with a look of dissaproval.

"If you could concentrate." Mace said. "Bullets with a rad-steel coating. No copper surface. Should overcome the cordalaine signal."

"But the Sontarans have got lasers. You can't even see in this fog, the night vision doesn't work!"

"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you for your lack of faith. But this time I'm not listening." He took off the gas mask and put his cap back on before turning to the rest of the troops. "Attention all troops! The Sontarans might think us primitive, as does every passing species with an axe to grind. They make a mockery of our weapons, our soldiers, our ideas-but no more. From this point on, it stops. From this point on, the people of Earth fight back! And we show them-we show the warriors of Sontar what the human race can do!"

I grinned and took out my radio, I was so excited about this bit. "Trap 1 to Hawk Major-go, go, go!" I shouted into the radio. There was a sudden sound of engines and we all looked up to see the smoke dissapear as two large fans appeared, attached to the Valient. "It's working. The area's clearing! Engines to maximum!"

"It's the Valiant!" The Doctor cheered.

"UNIT Carrier Ship Valiant reporting for duty, Doctor. With engines strong enough to clear away the fog." Mace announced as we all took off our maska.

"That's brilliant!"

"Getting a taste for it, Doctor?"

"No. Not at all. Not me."

"Valiant, fire at will." I called into the radio before five beams of light merged into one and hit the ATMOS factory and all the soldiers ran in, shooting.

...

"Donna, hold on. I'm coming." The Doctor said before stuffing the phone into his pocket and taking out the sonic as we walked through the factory.

"Shouldn't we follow the colonel?" Martha asked as we took one way down the corridor whilst Mace and the soldiers took the other way.

"Nah, you and me and Flo, Martha Jones. Just like old times. Alien technology...this way." The Doctor said as we followed the beeping of the sonic into a dark corridor. "No Sontarans down here. They can't resist a battle. Here we go." We quickly made our way along the corridor towards a door. The Doctor quickly soniced it and bolted in. The whole room was bathed in a green light and bang in the middle of the room was a tank and a harness with-

"MARTHA!" I gasped, running towards her. The Doctor span round to the Martha we walked in with as I checked the other Martha's pulse. Still a heartbeat, good. "Oh, Martha, I'm so sorry." I whispered. "Still alive." I looked up to see the other Martha take a gun out of her pocket and aim it at The Doctor.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" The Doctor asked.

"Wish you carried a gun now?" The other Martha asked.

"Not at all."

"I've been stopping the nuclear launch all this time."

"Doing exactly what I wanted. I needed to stop the missiles just as much as the Sontarans. I'm not having Earth start an interstellar war. You're a triple agent."

"When did you know?"

"About you? Oh, right from the start. Reduced iris contraction, slight thinning of the hair follicles on the left temple, and, frankly, you smell. You might as well have worn a t-shirt saying "clone"."

"Although, maybe not in front of Captain Jack." I suggested as the clone raised an eyebrow at me. "You remember him, don't you? 'Cause you've got all her memories. That's why the Sontarans had to protect her, to keep you inside of UNIT. Martha Jones is keeping you alive." I quickly yanked the band from around Martha's head. She gasped out as the clone fell to the floor in pain. I grabbed hold of Martha as she started to panic whilst The Doctor kicked the gun away before sonicing the restraints.

"It's all right, it's all right. I'm here, I'm here." I whispered. "I've got you."

"There was this thing, Doctor, this alien, with this head..." Martha gasped, grabbing onto his arm as my mobile began to ring.

"Blimey, I'm busy." The Doctor muttered, taking out my phone and answering it as I got Martha out of the harness. "Got it? Take off the covering, all the blue switches inside, flip them up, like a fuse box. That should get the teleport working."

"Oh my God...that's me!" I followed Martha's gaze to the clone as she watched in horror. The Doctor took of his coat and handed it to Martha. We headed over to the clone as The Doctor ran to the teleport. We shared a look and sat down in front of the clone as I writhed in pain, leaning against the wall.

"Don't touch me!" The clone spat as Martha reached forward gently.

"It's not my fault. The Sontarans created you, but...you had all my memories." Martha sighed.

"You've got a brother, sister, mother and father."

"If you don't help me, they're gonna die."

"You love them."

"Yes! Remember that?"

"The gas! Tell us about the gas!" I begged the clone.

"She's the enemy!" The Clone argued back at me.

"Then tell me." Martha begged. "It's not just poison. What's it for? Martha, please!"

"Caesofine concentrate. It's one part Bosteen, two parts Probic 5."

"It's clone feed!" Me and The Doctor gasped in unison.

"What's clone feed?" Martha asked.

"Like amniotic fluid for Sontarans." The Doctor called over. "That's why they're not invading! They're converting the atmosphere! Changing the planet into a clone world. Earth becomes a very big hatchery. 'Cause the Sontarans are clones, that's how they reproduce. Give 'em a planet this big, they'll create billions of new soldiers. The gas isn't poison, it's food!"

"My heart...it's getting slower." The clone said with regret.

"There's nothing I can do." Martha said sadly.

"In your mind, you've got so many plans. There's so much that you want to do."

"And I will. Never do tomorrow what you can do today, my mum says, 'cause-"

"'Cause you never know how long you've got. Martha Jones...all that life." She took one last breath before slowly shutting her eyes. I reached forward and gently felt her pulse, nothing. I looked back at Martha and shook my head before she leant forward, taking back her engagment ring and putting it on. We got up and made our way over to the teleport as The Doctor stepped out and soniced it.

"Now!" He cheered as Donna reappeared inside it.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?!" She gasped, rushing up to him and hugging him.

"Hold on, hold on. Get off me. Get off me! Gotta bring the TARDIS down!" He shook her off and soniced it again. "Right! Now, Martha, you coming?"

"What about this nuclear launch thing?" Martha asked, looking at the PDA she was carrying.

"Just keep pressing N. We want to keep those missiles on the ground."

"There's...two of them." Donna gasped, looking at the clone.

"Yeah. Long story. Here we go. The old team back together." He grinned at us as we stepped back into the teleport.

"We're not going back on that ship!"

"No, no, no. We needed to get the teleport working so that we could get to..." We reappeared into some big office, which I assumed was the Rattigan Academy. "...Here. The Rattigan Academy. Owned by-" We looked round to see a young man of about 18, nervously holding a gun at us.

"I guess he's Luke then." I muttered.

"Don't tell anyone what I did!" He begged. "It wasn't my fault! The Sontarans lied to me!" The Doctor strode towards him.

"If I see one more gun..." He muttered, tossing the gun aside as we followed after him.

"You know, that coat sort of works." Donna said, observing Martha.

"I feel like a kid in my dad's clothes." Me and Donna just grinnned at her.

...

The Doctor bolted around the lab, grabbing different pieces of equipment and putting them together as he talked.

"That's why the Sontarans had to stop the missiles." He explained. "They were holding back! 'Cause caesofine gas is volatile-that's why they had to use you to stop the nuclear attack. Ground-to-air engagement can spark off the whole thing."

"What, like set fire to the atmosphere?" Martha asked.

"Yeah. They need all the gas intact to breed their clone army. And all the time we had Luke here and his dream factory. Planning a little trip, were we?"

"They promised me a new world." Luke said sadly.

"And you were building equipment ready to terraform El Mundo Luko so that humans could live there and breathe air with...this!" He grinned at the small rocket device he'd built. "An atmospheric converter." He picked it up and bolted outside.

...

"It's London." Donna whispered as we looked across the foggy city, standing on the grass outside the Rattigan Academy. "You can't even see it. My family's in there. All of our family's are."

"If I can get this on the right setting..." The Doctor muttered, fiddling with the controls on the device as it sat on the ground.

"Doctor, hold on. You said the atmosphere would ignite." Martha said.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" He stood up and grabbed the remote, bashing down on it as a fireball flew into the sky, setting the whole sky on fire. "Please, please, please, please, please, please." After a minute, the sky returned to its usual blue and we all let out a sigh of relief.

"He's a genius!"

"Just brilliant." Martha agreed.

"Now we're in trouble." The Doctor said, pickin gup the converter and running back inside.

...

The Doctor stumbled into the teleport, holding the converter before looking back at us.

"Right, so...Donna, thank you." He looked at Donna. "For everything." He smiled sadly at Martha. "Martha, you too. Oh...so many times." He glanced at Luke. "Luke, do something clever with your life." And finally looking at me, realization hitting him in his eyes. "I love you."

"You're saying goodbye." Donna said.

"Sontarans are never defeated. They'll be getting ready for war. And, well, I've recalibrated this for Sontaran air so..."

"You're gonna ignite them." Martha said darkly, shaking her head as she took my hand and squeezed it.

"You'll kill yourself." Donna whispered.

"Just send that thing up on its own. I dunno, put it on a delay."

"I can't." The Doctor shook his head.

"Why not?" Donna asked.

"He's gotta give them a choice." I said sadly, tears spilling down my face as he teleported off.

...

"So many years," Martha began after minutes of silence. Me and Martha sat against the wall, Donna leant against the desk and Luke was just staring at the teleport. "Just... gone."

"What do you mean?" Donna asked.

"Donna, when we found you again at Adipose Industries, we hadn't seen you in over a year and a half." I said blankly, not even bothering to look up at her. "We met Martha only 2 months after meeting you."

"Oh."

"We done so much." Martha laughed sadly. "Shakespeare, New Earth, Daleks in 1930's Manhattan, Professor Lazarus, 42 minutes until a burning spaceship, a human Doctor and the Family of Blood, the Weeping Angels and living in 1969, the end of the universe, walking the Earth, the Titanic, and so much more."

"I can't look after a time lord baby on my own." I whispered to Martha. She shook her head at me as we looked back at the teleport. Luke stood there for a few minutes before getting inside and flidding with the wires on the box.

"What are you doing?"

"Something clever." He said before teleporting away. Suddenly, The Doctor reappeared in his place and collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily and we all stared in shock. Martha crawled over and grabbed onto his arm whilst Donna sat the other side and whacked him on the arm before grabbing him tightly. He looked up at me, not saying anything as I hugged my knees to my chest, tears pouring down my face.

...

"Thank you for everything, Alistair." I smiled at the Brigadier as he said goodbye to me. Martha and Donna were already in The TARDIS with The Doctor and now me and the Brigadier were standing at the end of the alleyway.

"If you or your mum need anything, just ring." He smiled at me. I placed a kiss to his cheek before walking towards the TARDIS door. I hesitated, holding onto the door handle before looking back with a smile.

"Alistair," I began. "Nice name."

...

Donna walked through the door of The TARDIS before walking up to the console with a sigh.

"How were they?" Martha asked.

"Oh...same old stuff." Donna shrugged. "They're fine. So, you gonna staying now?

"Oh, I have missed all this, but, you know...I'm good here-back at home." My heart sank a little and my mouth opened slightly as she smiled sympathetically. "And I'm better for having been away. Besides," She held up her hand, showing her engagement ring. "Someone needs me. Never mind the universe, I've got a great big world of my own now. That doesn't mean I don't expect the odd little trip now and then." She grinned. She turned, making her way to the door when it suddenly slammed shut and The TARDIS began to dematerialise.

"What? What? What?" The Doctor shouted as we grabbed onto the console and the ship went flying, throwing us about.

"Doctor, don't you dare!" Martha shouted.

"No, no! I didn't touch anything! We're in flight! It's not me!"

"Where are we going?" Donna demanded.

"I don't know! It's out of control!" I looked under the console to see The Doctor's hand bubbling.

"Doctor, just listen to me. You take me home. Take me home right now!" Martha shouted.

**A/N - You would not believe how excited I am for the next chapter, my god... PLEASE REVIEW!**


	8. The Doctor's Daughter

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna shouted as we clung to the console.

"Controls aren't working!" The Doctor said as the controls sparked and he fell to the floor and looked at the jar under the console.

"I don't know where we're going but my old hand's very excited about it!"

"I thought that was just some freaky alien thing! You telling me it's yours?" Donna asked.

"It got cut off. He grew a new one!" Martha said.

"You are completely... impossible!"

"Not impossible, just... a bit unlikely!" The console made one last explosion, sending us all flying to the floor. The Doctor looked at the three of us before we all got up, walking out of the doors and into some sort of underground tunnel, cluttered with junk and old equipment. "Why would the TARDIS bring us here?"

"Oh, I love this bit." Martha whispered.

"Thought you wanted to go home." Donna said.

"I know, but all the same... It's that feeling you get..."

"Like you swallowed a hamster?" I laughed. Suddenly, there was a bang and soldiers started running in and pointing guns at us.

"Don't move, stay where you are! Drop your weapons." One of them said.

"We're not armed! Look, no weapons. Never any weapons. We're safe." The Doctor said, stepping in front of me slightly.

"Look at their hands. They're clean."

"Alright, process them! Him first." Two of the soldiers grabbed The Doctor and dragged him towards a strange machine.

"Oi, oi! What's wrong with clean hands?!" The Doctor protested.

"What's going on?" Martha demanded as The Doctor was pushed towards a machine, like a barrel. His hand was grabbed and forced into the machine.

"Leave him alone!" Donna shouted as I watched in shock. The machine began to whirr and The Doctor yelled out in pain.

"Something tells me this isn't about to check my blood pressure AAGGGH!" He shouted.

"What're you doing to him?" I demanded.

"Everyone gets processed." The soldier replied.

"It's taken a tissue sample." The Doctor frowned. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow! And extrapolated it! Some kind of accelerator?" The machine let go and The Doctor stumbled back towards us, looking at the bigger machine next to the processor.

"Are you alright?" Martha asked as we stared at his hand, now with a y shaped graze across it.

"What on earth? That's just..." Suddenly, the machine whizzed open and we looked up. Out of the smoke a figure stepped out and looked around before being given a gun. The woman, wearing black trousers and a green t shirt took a gun from one of the soliders, and began to examine it.

"Where did she come from?" Martha asked.

"From me." The Doctor gulped.

"From you?! How? Who is she?" Donna asked.

"Well... she's... well..."

"She's his daughter!" I said breathlessly as the woman looked up, cocked the gun and grinned at us.

"Hello dad!" She said cheerfully. She took one last look at us as we stared at her in horror before she left and joined the rest of the soldiers, all looking through obstacles at something at the end of the tunnel.

"You primed to take orders, ready to fight?" The soldier asked.

"Instant mental download of all strategic and military protocols, sir. Generation 5000 soldier primed and in peak physical health." She said quickly. "Oh, I'm ready."

"Did you say, daughter?" Donna asked.

"Mm. Technically." The Doctor nodded.

"Technically how?" Martha asked.

"Progenation. Reproduction from a single organism. Means one parent is biological mother and father. You take a sample of diploid cells, split them into haploids, then recombine them in a different arrangement, and grow. Very quickly, apparently."

The woman looked back at us with an innocent look on her face. "Except I'm new." She shrugged. "Reproduction from a single organism, yes. But when the diploid splitted into haploids, something else got mixed up." The Doctor stared at her, stunned. "You were holding somebody's hand." She nodded before turning away from us again. Donna and Martha took a small step back as The Doctor stared at me. I opened my mouth, about to say something before shutting it again and shaking my head. "Something's coming!" The sound of bullets came through the tunnel and I just caught the glimpse of fish men running towards us.

"It's the Hath!" The soldier shouted as they all began to shoot back at them.

"Get down!" The woman shouted back to us as we dodged out of the way.

"We have to blow the tunnel! Get the detonator!" The soldier shouted over his should.

"I'm not detonating anything!" The Doctor shouted back.

"MARTHA!" I screamed as Martha got pulled away by one of the Hath. I went to run towards her when the young woman bolted past me, holding a yellow detonator. She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out the way.

"Blow that thing, blow the thing!"

"Martha! No! Don't!" The Doctor shouted as the young woman bashed the detonator.

"DOCTOR!" I screamed. He and Donna looked over at me before realising what had happened. The Doctor grabbed Donna's hand and they came running towards us with the soldier behind them before the tunnel. The Doctor jumped in front of me and Donna as everything calmed down before turning round to see the tunnel sealed up by rubble.I bolted towards the wall, staring at it in shock. "You've sealed off the tunnel." I shouted, looking back at the woman. "Why did you do that?!"

"They were trying to kill us!" She gasped.

"THEY'VE GOT MY BEST FRIEND YOU INSANE BITC-" I stopped myself, looking at her shocked face as The Doctor walked up to me and kissed me gently. "I'm sorry."

"They've got our friend." The Doctor said firmly, looking back at her.

"Collateral damage." She said. "At least you've still got her," She nodded at Donna. "He lost both his men, I'd say you came out ahead."

"Her name's Martha, and she's not collateral damage, not for anyone! Have you got that, GI Jane?!" Donna shouted.

"Soldiers, who are fighting in some pityless war?" I scoffed. "She's done so much more."

"I'm gonna find her." The Doctor said as we turned to go.

"You're going nowhere." The soldier said, pointing a gun at me, Donna and The Doctor. "You don't make sense, you two. No guns, no marks, no fight in you… I'm taking you to General Cobb. Now, move."

"Wow you're a tit." I muttered, rolling my eyes.

...

The soldier, who we learnt was called Cline, Donna, The Doctor me and the young woman walked through the tunnels. The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets as we walked.

"I'm Donna, what's you name?" Donna asked the young woman.

"Don't know, it's not been assigned." She shrugged as I walked in between the two of them.

"Well, if you don't know that, what do you know?"

"How to fight."

"Nothing else?"

"The machine must embed military history and tactics but no name. She's a generated anomaly." The Doctor said from next to Donna.

"Generated anomaly? Jenny-rated. Well what about that? Jenny!" Donna said.

"Jenny. Yeah, I like that, Jenny." Jenny grinned.

"What do you think, 'Mum'?, 'Dad'?" She asked, looking at me, then The Doctor.

"Good as anything, I suppose." The Doctor said.

"Not what you'd call natural parents, are you?"

"They stole a tissue sample at gunpoint and processed it, it's not what I call natural parentage." The Doctor scoffed.

"Rubbish! My friend Nerys fathered twins with a turkey baster, don't bother her."

"You can't extrapolate a relationship from a biological accident."

"Er, Child Support Agency can." I laughed.

"Look, just cos I share certain physiological traits with simian primates doesn't make me a monkey's uncle, does it?"

"I'm not a monkey!" Jenny exclaimed. "Or a child."

The five of us made our way into a huge underground room, filled with the machines from before and people camping everywhere.

"So, where are we? What planet's this?" I asked.

"Messaline. Well, what's left of it." Cline said.

"But, this is a theatre!" Donna said.

"Maybe they're doing Miss Saigon." I shrugged, making The Doctor grin at me.

"It's like a town, or a city, underground. But why?" Donna asked as an older man walked up to us with Cline.

"General Cobb, I presume?" The Doctor asked.

"Found in the Western tunnels, I'm told, with no marks." General Cobb said. "There was an outbreak of pacifism in the Eastern Zone, three generations back, before we lost contact, is that where you came from?"

"Eastern Zone, that's us, yeah." I nodded.

"Yeah." The Doctor agreed. I'm The Doctor, this is Donna and Flo."

"And I'm Jenny." Jenny added quickly.

"Don't think you can infect us with your peacemaking." General Cobb warned. "We're committed to the fight, to the very end."

"Well, that's all right, I can't stay anyway. I've gotta go and find my friend." The Doctor nodded.

"That's not possible, all movement is regulated. We're at war."

"Yes, I noticed. With the Hath. But tell me, cos we got a bit out of circulation, Eastern Zone and all that, so, who exactly are the Hath?"

"Back at the dawn of this planet, these ancient halls were carved from the earth. Our ancestors dreamt of a new beginning, a colony where human and Hath could work and live together."

"So what happened?" I asked.

"The dream died. Broken, along with Hath promises. They wanted it all for themselves. But those early pioneers, they fought back. They used the machines to produce soldiers instead of colonists, and began this battle for survival."

"There's nothing but earth outside, why's that? Why build everything underground?" Donna asked.

"The surface is too dangerous." Cline said.

"Well, then why build windows in the first place? And what does this mean?" Donna pointed up at a number stamped on a metal plate on the wall.

"The rites and symbols of our ancestors." General Cobb sighed. "The meanings... lost in time."

"How long's this war gone on for?" I asked.

"Longer than anyone can remember. Countless generations marked only by the dead. "

"What, fighting all this time?" Donna asked.

"Because we must." Jenny butted in, making us all look at her. "Every child of the machine is born with this knowledge. It's our inheritance, it's all we know. How to fight. And how to die."

...

We all stood around a holographic map. "Does this show the entire city, including the Hath zones?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes." General Cobb said. "Why?"

"Well it'll help us find Martha." I said.

"We've more important things to do." Cline said. "The Progenation Machines are powered down for the night shift, but soon as they're active, we could breed a whole platoon from you two."

"I'm not having sons and daughters by some great big flippin' machine!" Donna scoffed, looking at Jenny. "Sorry, no offence but you're not... well I mean you're not real."

"You're no better than him!" Jenny exclaimed, nodding at The Doctor. "I have a body, I have a mind, I have independent thought, how am I not real? What makes you better than me?"

"Well said, soldier." General Cobb praised. "We need more like you if ever we're to find the Source."

"Ooh, the Source, what's that then, what's a Source? I like a Source, what is it?" The Doctor asked excitedly.

"The Breath of Life."

"And that would be...?" I asked.

"In the beginning the great one breathed life into the universe. And then she looked at what she'd done, and she sighed."

"She? I like that." Jenny said with a smile.

"Right, so it's a creation myth." The Doctor said.

"It's not myth." General Cobb insisted. "It's real. That sigh. From the beginning of time it was caught and kept as the Source. It was lost when the war started. But it's here, somewhere. Whoever holds the Source controls the destiny of the planet."

"Ah! I thought so!" The Doctor exclaimed, taking his sonic out of his pocket and sonicing the map. "There's a suppressed layer of information in this map, if I can just…" He triggered the map and it turned to show more tunnels.

"What is it, what's it mean?" Donna asked.

"See? A whole complex of tunnels, hidden from sight." I laughed, grinning.

"That must be the lost temple." Cobb said. "The source will be inside. You've shown us the way! And look, we're closer than the Hath! It's ours!" He turned to Cline. "Tell them to prepare to move out. We'll progenate new soldiers on the morning shift, then we march. Once we reach the Temple, peace will be restored at long last."

"Um, call me old-fashioned, but if you really wanted peace couldn't you just stop fighting?" The Doctor asked.

"Only when we have the Source. It'll give us the power to erase every stinking Hath from the face of this planet!"

"Hang on, hang on, a second ago it was peace in our time, now you're talking about genocide!?" I exclaimed.

"For us, that means the same thing."

"Then you need to get yourself a better dictionary." The Doctor snapped. "When you do, look up genocide. You'll see a little picture of me there and the caption will read 'Over my dead body'!"

"And you're the one who showed us the path to victory. But you can consider the irony from your prison cell. Cline, at arms!" Cline pointed his gun at us.

"Oi, oi oi! All right! Cool the beans Rambo!" Donna shouted.

"Take them, I won't have them spreading treason. And if you try anything, Doctor, I'll see that your woman dies first." He said, nodding at me.

"I am nobody's woman thank you!" I scoffed.

"Come on. This way." Cline said, beginning to lead us off.

"I'm going to stop you, Cobb, you need to know that." The Doctor said.

"I have an army and the breath of god on my side, Doctor, what'll you have?" Cobb asked.

"This." He tapped the side of his head.

"Lock them up, and guard them."

"What about the new soldier?" Cline asked as Cobb pushed Jenny into my arms.

"Can't trust her, she's from pacifist stock. Take them all!"

"It's ok." I whispered to her as we were lead off.

...

Cline slammed the door of the cell on me and Jenny and locked it before leading The Doctor and Donna off again.

"If he geniunley needs the toilet and it's not some form of escape plan," I began, sitting down on the bench at the back off the cell. "I'm gonna kill him." Jenny walked over and sat down in front of my, cross legged on the floor. She reached forward and placed her hand gently on my belly, startling me a little. Jenny stared at her hand, as if she was listening before glancing up at the lightbulb then back at her hand.

"I don't think so," She said, as if I was listening to half a conversation. "I don't think there's any nanogenes in the bulb." Suddenly, she giggled. "No, I don't have a banana, sorry. Hang on, I'll ask." Then, she looked up at me. "The baby wants to know if you have a banana."

"How are you doing that?" I whispered in shock.

She shrugged. "Just am." She looked back at her hand. "Sorry, boyo."

"It's a boy?" I gasped as she looked back up at me suddenly, wide eyed.

"Didn't you know?" She asked. "Sorry!" She quickly pulled her hand away and stood up as the cell door opened and The Doctor and Donna walked in.

"More numbers." Donna nodded. I stood up and followed her gaze to another metal plate on the wall. "They've gotta mean something."

"Makes as much sense as the breath of life story." The Doctor muttered.

"You mean that's not true?" Jenny asked.

"No, it's a myth. Isn't it, Doctor?" Donna said.

"Yes, but there could still be something real in that temple, something that's become a myth." The Doctor sighed. "A piece of technology, a weapon."

"So the Source could be a weapon and we've just given directions to Captain Nutjob?"

"Oh, yes."

"Not good, is it?"

"That's why we need to get out of here, find Martha and stop Cobb from slaughtering the Hath." I said as The Doctor caught Jenny's gaze.

"What, what are you, what are you…what are you staring at?" He asked.

"You keep insisting you're not a soldier." She said. "But look at you! Drawing up strategies like a proper general."

"No no, I'm trying to stop the fighting."

"Isn't every soldier?"

"Well. I suppose. But that's… that's… technically... I haven't got time for this! Donna, give me your phone! Time for an upgrade!" She handed him her phone and he soniced it.

"And now you've got a weapon!"

"It's not a weapon."

"But you're using it to fight back!" She laughed. "I'm gonna learn so much from you, you are such a soldier!"

"Donna, will you tell her?"

"Oh, you are speechless, I'm loving this!" Donna laughed. "You keep on, Jenny!"

"Martha! You're alive!" The Doctor shouted, making me jump. "I'm with Donna, we're fine, what about you?"

"And, and Jenny, she's fine too!"

"Yes all right, and, and Jenny... That's the woman from the machine, the soldier, mine and Flo's daughter, except she isn't, she's, she's... Anyway! Where are you?" He listened intently before wincing. "Ohhh... That was me. If both armies are heading that way, there's going to be a bloodbath. Just stay where you are, if you're safe there then don't move, d'you hear?" He took the phone away from his ear and frowned. "Lost signal." He sighed and stuffed the phone into his pocket as cheering filled the air from down the hallway. "They're getting ready to move out. We have to get past that guard."

"I can deal with him." Jenny said.

"No no no no. You're not going anywhere."

"What?"

"You belong here, with them."

"She belongs with us." I gasped, standing if front of her. "She's our daughter!"

"She's a soldier. She came out of that machine!"

"Doctor!" I gasped again, tears rolling down her eyes. "Just because she came out of machine it makes it no difference. Would you say that to any child of yours? That they don't belong with you?"

"What do you mean, I-" He began as I took his hand and rested it on my belly.

"Doctor," I whispered as he stared at his hand. "She has two hearts," He slowly looked up at me in shock as Donna watched, equally as shocked. "Tell me where she belongs now."

"Does that mean she's a...? What do you call a female Time Lord?" Donna asked.

"What's a Time Lord?" Jenny asked.

"It's who I am. It's where I'm from." The Doctor managed to say.

"And I'm from you."

"You're an echo, that's all." The Doctor said bitterly. "A Time Lord is so much more. A sum of knowledge. A code. A shared history. A shared suffering." He paused from a momeny, leaning his forehead against mine. "Only it's gone now. All of it. Gone forever."

"What happened?"

"There was a war." I sighed, wrapping my arms around The Doctor's neck.

"Like this one?" The Doctor laughed at the absurdity.

"Bigger. Much bigger."

"And you fought? And killed?"

"Yes." He said darkly as I tightened my grip on him.

"Then how are we different?"

...

"I'd like to see you try that!" Donna muttered to me with a smirk as we watched Cline unlock the cell for Jenny.

"I could of had a bloody good go." I whispered back with a laugh.

"No you wouldn't have." The Doctor said protectively.

...

"That's the way out." The Doctor whispered as we peered round the corner at the soldier guarding the door. Jenny cocked her gun. "Don't you dare!" He hissed as Donna stepped between the two of them.

"Let me distract this one." Donna whispered confidently. "I have picked up a few womanly wiles over the years."

"Let's... save your wiles for later. In case of emergency." The Doctor nodded, taking a wind up mouse and putting it on the landing of the staircase as it started to squeak. The guard ran up to the mouse and frowned as Jenny leant forward and karate chopped him on the back, leaving him to collapse to the floor. "I was gonna distract him, not clobber him!"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" I giggled, putting my arm around Jenny.

"They must all have a copy of that new map. Just stay there, don't hurt anyone."

...

Of course we ignored that.

"Wait! This is it. The hidden tunnel." The Doctor said, staring at the wall. "There must be a control panel." He started to sonic the wall as Donna looked up at wall, noticing another one of those number plates.

"It's another one of those numbers. They're everywhere." Donna frowned.

"The original builders must've left them. Some old cataloguing system." I suggested.

"You got a pen? Bit of paper? Cos, d'you see, the numbers are counting down." I reached into my pocket and handed her a pen as The Doctor handed her a bit of paper. "This one ends in 1-4, the prison cell said 1-6."

"Always thinking, all of you. Who are you people?" Jenny asked.

"I told you. I'm the Doctor." The Doctor said.

"The Doctor? That's it?"

"That's all he ever says." I laughed.

"So, you don't have a name either? Are you an anomaly too?"

"No." The Doctor said.

"Oh, come off it! You're the most anomalous bloke I've ever met!" Donna scoffed as The Doctor managed to take a plate of metal off the wall to reveal a control panel.

"And Time Lords, what are they for exactly?" Jenny asked.

"'For'? They're not... They're not 'for' anything." The Doctor said.

"So what do you do?"

"I travel. Through time and space."

"He saves planets, rescues civilizations, defeats terrible creatures. And runs a lot. Seriously, 3 and a half years in and there's still an outrageous amount of running involved." The door slid open and Cobb's shouts bellowed through in the distance.

"Got it!" The Doctor cheered before looking back at Jenny. "Now, what were you saying about running?" He grabbed her hand and we ran through to be met by a tunnel, blocked by red laser beams.

"That's not mood lighting, is it?" I asked. The Doctor took the clockwork mouse out of his pocket and threw it into the lights, making it burst into sparkles. "No, I didn't think so."

"Arming device." The Doctor said before he began fiddling with the controls.

"There's more of these." Donna said, looking up at the wall to find yet another metal number plate. "Always eight numbers, counting down, the closer we get..."

"Here we go!" The Doctor said.

"You better be quick!"

"The General!" Jenny gasped as the soldiers voices rang through behind us. She turned and ran back only to be caught by The Doctor.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I can hold them up."

"No, we don't need any more dead."

"But it's them or us."

"It doesn't mean you have to kill them!"

"I'm trying to save your life!"

"Listen to me, the killing, after a while it infects you. And once it does you're never rid of it."

"We don't have a choice."

"We always have a choice." He said darkly.

"I'm sorry." She said before running off.

"Jenny!" I shouted after her as the sound of bullets rang through the air.

"I told you. Nothing but a soldier." The Doctor said bitterly.

"SHE'S YOUR DAUGHTER!" I screamed before running after her. I ran out to her, grabbing onto her arm as she pointed the gun at Cobb and the soldiers.

"You're a child of the machine." Cobb told her. "You're on my side. Join us! Join us in the war against the Hath. It's in your blood, girl, don't deny it." She took aim but in the last second, pulled up the gun and shot at a pipe above Cobb's head before throwing the gun to the floor, taking my hand and running back through. The Doctor and Donna were at the other end of the tunnel as they shouted over at us.

"Come on! That's it!" The Doctor shouted at us as we reached the corridor before suddenly, the beams reappeared. "No, no, no, no! The circuit's looped back!" He shouted angrily.

"Zap it back again!" Donna exclaimed.

"The controls are back there! Wait! J-Just...! There isn't...! Jenny, Flo, I can't!"

"I'll have to manage on my own." She turned and looked at me with a grin. "One of the things I learnt from you."

My jaw dropped, "You can do that too?!"

She nodded and looked back at The Doctor. "Watch and learn, Father!" In unison we began to jump through the beams, somersaulting over them before falling into the other end, into The Doctor's arms.

"No way! But that was impossible!" Donna fasped.

"Not impossible. Just a bit unlikely!" The Doctor and I said in unison.

"Brilliant! You were brilliant! Brilliant!" The Doctor said with a grin, hugging us.

"I didn't kill him." Jenny said. "General Cobb, I could have kill him, but I didn't. You were right. I had a choice." The soldiers ran in and The Doctor pushed me, Jenny and Donna ahead.

...

"So, you travel together," Jenny began, talking to me and Donna as we walked through another corridor. "And you're together," She said to me. "Obviously. Has that been always."

"No." I said, shaking my head.

"So, how long have you been married."

"We're not married." I smiled softly at her. "But, I've been travelling with him for 3 and a half years and we've been together now for... about, 8 months maybe?" I blinked a few times. "Wow, 8 months. Has it really been that long?"

"Not including the year." The Doctor muttered behind me.

"And what's it like, the travelling?" Jenny asked.

"Ah, never a dull moment." Donna said with a grin. "Can be terrifying, brilliant and funny - sometimes all at the same time. I've seen some amazing things though. Whole new worlds."

"Oh, I'd love to see new worlds."

"You will. Won't she, Doctor?" I asked.

"Hm?" The Doctor asked.

"D'you think Jenny will see any new worlds?" Donna said.

"I suppose so."

"You mean... You mean, you'll take me with you?" Jenny gasped.

"We can't leave you here, can we?" I laughed.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She grinned, throwing her arms around me. "Come on! Let's get a move on!" She said before running off.

"Careful, there might be traps!" The Doctor shouted after her.

"Kids! They never listen!" Donna laughed before looking at mine and The Doctor's shocked expressions. "Oh, I know that look. See it a lot round our way. Couples with pushchairs and frowns. You've got dad-shock and mum-shock."

"Dad-shock?" The Doctor frowned.

"Sudden, unexpected fatherhood. Take a bit of getting used to."

"No, it's not that."

"Well, what is it then? Having Jenny in the TARDIS is that it? What's she gonna do, cramp your style? Like you've got a sports car and she's gonna turn it into a people-carrier? You've got your gorgeous girlfriend now you've got a tot running around, cause let me tell you something sunshine, in 9 months you literally will have one running around." She said, nodding at my stoumach.

"Donna, he's been a father before." I sighed.

"What?"

"I lost all that a long time ago." The Doctor said. "Along with everything else."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me? You talk all the time, but you don't say anything." She said sympathetically.

"I know. I'm just... When I look at her now I can see them. The hole they left, all the pain that filled it. I just don't know if I can face that every day."

"It won't stay like that. She'll help you. We both will."

"But when they died, that part of me died with them. It'll never come back. Not now."

"I tell you something, Doctor, something I've never told you before. I think you're wrong." Donna said before grabbing both our arms and stopping us. "You've got to be ready. Because you two, from the day I met you both, you've been running away all the time! And you've got to stop, you're having a _baby_. You've got 9 months to sort yourselves out."

"2 years." The Doctor corrected, scratching the back of his ear.

My face dropped and I looked up at him, stunned. "2 years?" I asked and he nodded back. "You're kidding." Suddenly, shooting rang through the halls again and Jenny reappeared.

"They've blasted through the beams, time to run again." She grinned. "Love the running! Yeah?"

"Love the running." The Doctor said, smiling at her before we ran off.

"Better get used to this," I laughed nervously as we ran. "Soon I won't be able to walk."

And then we reached a dead end... crap.

"We're trapped." Donna said.

"Can't be. This must be the temple." The Doctor said, touching the wall. "This is a door."

"And again! We're down to 1-2 now..." Donna said, noticing yet another metal plate.

"I've got it!"

"I can hear them!" Jenny said nervously.

"Nearly done."

"These can't be a cataloguing system." Donna frowned.

"They're getting closer!" Jenny pointed out.

"Then get back here!" The Doctor shouted.

"They're too similar. Too familiar." Donna said.

"Now! Got it!" The door opened and I grabbed hold of Jenny, pulling her in as we stepped inside the temple.

"They're coming! Close the door!" Jenny shouted as I bashed some of the keys on the wall and it slid shut. "Oh, that was close!"

"No fun otherwise!" The Doctor grinned.

"It's not what I'd call a temple..." Donna said.

"It looks more like..." Jenny began as I turned back from the wall and looked at the spaceship.

"Fusion-drive transport." I said quickly. "It's a spaceship!"

"What, the original one? The one the first colonists arrived in?" Donna asked.

"Well, it could be, but the power cells would have run down after all that time." The Doctor said, walking through the ship. "This one's still powered-up and functioning. Come on!" We bolted through the ship, noticing another door was being cut through.

"It's the Hath!" Jenny said nervously. "That door's not gonna last much longer. And if General Cobb gets through down there, war's gonna break out."

"Look, look, look, look, look! Ship's log!" The Doctor said, running towards the controls and looking at the screen. "First wave of Human/Hath co-colonisation of planet Messaline."

"So it is the original ship." Jenny said as we crowded around it.

"What happened?" Donna asked.

"Phase one. Construction." I read. "They used robot drones to build the city."

"But, does it mention the war?"

The Doctor quickly scrolled down, shaking his head.

"Final entry..." He read. "Mission commander dead. Still no agreement on who should assume leadership. Hath and humans have divided into factions." That must be it! A power vacuum. The crew divided into two factions and turned on each other. Start using the progenation machines and suddenly you've got two armies fighting a never-ending war!"

"Two armies who are now both outside." Jenny said.

"Look at that." Donna said. We followed her gaze to a big screen behind us showing a set of number similarr to in the tunnels.

"It's like the numbers in the tunnels." The Doctor said.

"No, no, no, no, but listen... I spent six months working as a temp in Hounslow Library, and I mastered the Dewey Decimal System in two days flat. I'm good with numbers! It's staring us in the face!" Donna began excitedly.

"What is?" Jenny asked.

"It's the date! Assuming the first two numbers are some big old space date, then you've got year, month, day. It's the other way round, like it is in America!"

"Ohhh! It's the New Byzantine Calendar!" The Doctor and I gasped in unison.

"The codes are completion dates for each section. They finish it, they stamp the date on! So the numbers aren't counting down, they're going out, from here, day by day, as the city got built."

"Yes! Oh, good work, Donna!" The Doctor praised.

"Yeah! But you're, you're still not getting it. The first number I saw back there, was 6012-07-17. Well, look at the date today!"

"07-24. No!"

"What does it mean?" Jenny asked.

"Seven days." I gasped.

"That's it! Seven days!" Donna pointed out.

"Just seven days?!" The Doctor asked to himself.

"What d'you mean, seven days?" Jenny asked.

"Seven days since war broke out."

"This war started seven days ago! Just a week! A week!" Donna said.

"They said years!" Jenny gasped in horror.

"No. They said generations. And if they're all like you, and they're products of those machines..."

"They could have 20 generations in a day! Each generation gets killed in the war, passes on the legend! Ohhh! Donna, you're a genius!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"But all the buildings, the encampments, they're in ruins." Jenny frowned.

"No they're not ruined, they're just empty!" I said, realising. "Waiting to be populated! Oh, they've mythologised their entire history! The Source must be part of that too."

"Come on!" The Doctor ordered. We began to run again, round a corner when a door slid open and Martha stepped in, completely drenched.

"Doctor!" She squealed.

"Martha!" The Doctor shouted, running forward and hugging her. "I should've known you wouldn't stay away from the excitement!"

"Donna!" Martha gapsed, running forward and hugging her before looking at me. "Are you ok?" She asked me.

"He knows, it's fine." I gulped, rushing forward and hugging her.

"She knew before me?" The Doctor asked dryly. I pulled away from Martha and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Seriously, is now the right time?" I asked sarcastically.

He nodded at me before looking back at Martha. "Oooh, you're filthy, what happened?!"

"I, erm, took the surface route." She said sheepishly as the sounds of the soldiers grew nearer.

"That's the general! We haven't got much time."

"We don't even know what we're looking for!" Donna said.

"Is it me, or can you smell flowers?" Martha asked.

"Yes! Bougainvillea!" The Doctor grinned. "I say we follow our nose!"

...

So we ran a bit more, and found ourselves in a small sort of garden, filled with plants all grown around a pedestal in the middle holding a glass sphere with a shining gas inside.

"Oh, yes! Yes! Isn't this brilliant?" The Doctor cheered.

"Is that the Source?" Donna asked, nodding over at the glass sphere.

"It's beautiful." Jenny whispered.

"What is it?" Martha asked.

"Terraforming! It's a third generation terraforming device!" I said with glee.

"So why are we suddenly in Kew Gardens?" Donna asked.

"Because that's what it does." The Doctor shrugged. "All this, only bigger. Much bigger! It's in a transit state. Producing all this must help keep it stable before they finally..." Suddenly, the Hath and soldiers appeared from opposite sides of the garden, aiming their guns at each other.

"Stop! Hold your fire!" The Doctor shouted, holding his hands between the two parties.

"What is this? Some kind of trap?" Cobb demanded.

"You said you wanted this war over."

"I want this war won."

"You can't win. No one can. You don't even know why you're here. Your whole history, it's just Chinese whispers. Getting more distorted the more it's passed on." He pointed at the sphere. "This is the Source. This is what you're fighting over. A device to rejuvenate a planet's ecosystem. It's nothing mystical. It's from a laboratory, not some creator. It's a bubble of gases. A cocktail of stuff for accelerated evolution. Methane, hydrogen, ammonia, amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids. It's used to make barren planets habitable. Look around you! It's not for killing, it's bringing life. If you allow it, it can lift you out of these dark tunnels and into the bright, bright sunlight! No more fighting. No more killing." He lifted up the sphere and grinned at me. "I'm the Doctor, and I declare this war is over!" And SMASH, he threw it to the ground and it shattered. The gas floated into the air, shining and amazed by the sight both human and Hath put their guns to the ground.

"What's happening?" Jenny asked as The Doctor walked towards us.

"The gases will escape and trigger the terraforming process."

"What does that mean?"

"It means a new world." I said with a grin as she laughed in delight before my gaze fell onto Cobb who lifted his gun, aiming at The Doctor. I gapsed and quickly stepped in front of him as The Doctor looked over but as the shot rang out, Jenny stepped in front of me before I could push her.

Jenny fell back into my arms and I lowered her to the floor as The Doctor got down next to me as my own daughter's blood covered my hands and body.

"Jenny? Jenny! Talk to me, Jenny!" The Doctor begged as I shook. Martha and Donna ran over and Martha took Jenny's pulse, but I was too in shock to hear what they were saying.

"A new world. It's beautiful." Jenny whispered.

"Jenny? Be strong, now. You need to hold on. D'you hear me? We've got things to do, the three of us. Hey? Hey? We can go anywhere. Everywhere. You choose."

"That sounds good."

"You're our daughter and we've only just got started. You're gonna be great. You're gonna be more than great. You're gonna be amazing! You hear me? Jenny?" Her eyes slowly shut and breathed her last breath.

"Two hearts. Two hearts, she's like me. If we wait... If we just wait..." The Doctor begged.

"There's no sign, Doctor." Martha said sadly. "There is no regeneration. She's like you, but... maybe not enough."

"No. Too much. That's the truth of it. She was too much like me."

Then suddenly, I snapped. I slid under from Jenny's body and ran over to the soldiers, picking up a gun, cocking it and jabbing it into Cobb's forehead who was now being held back by two soldiers.

"I am not him." I hissed, ignoring The Doctor and Martha's shouts from behind me. "I am not The Doctor so don't think for one minute I will hesitate to put this bullet in your brain." I squeezed on the trigger slowly when I heard a small voice in my head.

"_Don't_." It said. Fresh tears sprung from my eyes when I realised who was talking, it was the baby, talking to me. "_Don't, Mum. Please._" I pulled the gun away, throwing it to the side of me before storming back over to Jenny and pulling her into my arms.

"I never would. Have you got that? I never would!" The Doctor shouted, standing up and addressing both armies. "When you start this new world. This world of Human and Hath... remember that! Make the foundation of this society. A man who never would!"

...

"Jenny was the reason for the TARDIS bringing us here." The Doctor said with a sigh as we stood around the console. "It just got here too soon, which then created Jenny in the first place. Paradox. An endless paradox." He turned to Martha. "Time to go home?"

"Yeah. Home." She nodded.

...

"We're making a habit of this." I said to Martha as we stood outside her house.

"Yeah. And you'd think it'd get easier." She looked up at The Doctor. "All those things you've been ready to die for. I thought for a moment there you'd finally found something worth living for."

"Oh... there's always something worth living for, Martha." The Doctor said, squeezing my hand.

"I'm not leaving The TARDIS." She said, breathing in sharply. "Otherwise I would have taken my stuff. But I have a life here now, one I didn't have 8 months ago." She slowly grinned. "I expect weekly visits and phonecalls. Sometimes a girl still needs to go alien market shopping or a cultured night out to the Towers of Darrilium." I smirked at her. "Anyway, you need to go. I need to start making charts."

The Doctor frowned. "Charts?" He asked.

"I need to keep charts for Flo's pregnancy!" She exclaimed, as if it should be obvious to him. "I need to keep a track of everything, so, yes weekly visits for check ups and so I can use the med bay."

The Doctor groaned, "Do I have a choice."

"No." She grinned before placing a kiss on both our cheeks and turning back to her house.

Me and The Doctor smiled at each other before walking back to The TARDIS. "Goodbye, Doctor Jones." I shouted over my shoulder."

"Goodbye, Coronel Smith." She called back.

...

_Jenny began to run, looking for a shuttle when her arm was pulled round a corner. She looked up to find herself faced with a tall man with sweeping brown hair, staring at her. _

_"Hello Jenny." He said with a smile._

_"Do I know you?" She asked._

_"We've never met no..." He said. "I'm Hero. I've come to get you, )I-" He slowly smirked. "Have you got a banana?"_

**A/N - So here we go! One of my favourite episodes. And if any of you can be bothered to work out that end bit then hurrah! But yeah... baby! Also, Flo is definitely going to leave at the end of this series but guys, RULE 1! There will still be the specials but it's going to be a bit different. The chapter order will go: The Mad Woman In The Attic Part 1 & 2 (SJA), The Wedding Of Sarah Jane Smith Part 1 & 2 ((SJA) and for obvious reasons if you've seen it, duh), Planet of the Dead, The End Of Time Part 1 & 2. There will be no return to The TARDIS and if you've noticed these are all Earth based stories at the beggining so yeah... Next 4 chapters are SJA episodes: The Lost Sontaran and The Day of the Clown. Maria's going! :( Flo and Maria are so close aw it's going to be so heartbreaking for Flo! But yayayay Rani! So yeah, please review because it makes me happy and it lets me know you're reading! **


	9. Goodbye, Maria Jackson

**A/N - Ok, short drabble here, sorry. I wrote the whole of The Lost Sontaran and then my laptop turned itself off and I nearly threw it at a wall so... but I have Day of the Clown written out so that will be put up with this. Just a bit of a goodbye for Maria, I will miss her. Flo had such a close relationship with her but this isn't goodbye. Maria will reappear, if any of you have been keeping close attention to something Flo said in Fires Of Pompeii you'll know Maria has some more things to do yet. Also, any time the baby speaks it will be in italics now. We're so close to the finale omg, Rose is coming back and so much is going to happen and I've had this written out for so long sobs. But we have to meet River Song yet and my god you guys have no idea what's coming for you uh my god I haven't even written all the important bits from now until series 7 but I have it all planned out in my head and everything with Amy and Rory and Hero and River and my god it's all so exciting you have no idea. On another note, I've been messaging back and forth this authour, I took a look at their story (another rewrite) and you guys should take a look. The author name is: alloftimeandspacemelodypond so yeah you should go have a look. So,um yeah, enjoy and review you beautiful people.**

"What happened?" I lifted my head up, half asleep to look at Maria sitting at the other end, wrapped in the duvet we were sharing before glancing down at Clyde and Luke, asleep. And tonight was Maria's last night on Bannerman Road before moving off to the states with her Dad. "After the ATMOS thing, you said you'd come home, why didn't you?"

I breathed in sharply, "We ended up on a planet called Messaline." I began before explaining everything with Jenny and how she died.

"Who did she look like more?" I looked up to see Mum standing in the doorway, listening in.

"She had your eyes, funnily enough." I laughed softly as she walked in and plonked herself down inbetween me and Maria. "But apart from that, she looked like The Doctor's fifth incarnation more than anything." Mum nodded before stifiling a yawn.

"I'm off to bed." She muttered, placing a kiss on my head and then Maria's before walking out of the attic.

"Keep a secret?" I whispered to Maria. She nodded and I grabbed her hand and placed it on my stoumach.

"_Hello Auntie Maria._" The baby said. Maria's jaw dropped and she looked up at me in shock.

"You said you couldn't have kids!" She gasped.

"I thought I couldn't." I said nervously. "Turns out I can."

And then, those famous words came out, "_Do you have a banana?_"


	10. The Day Of The Clown Part 1

"Luke?" I whispered, opening the door slowly to my younger brother's bedroom. I looked at him, asleep and smiled, I really had to tell The Doctor to stop dropping me off in the middle of the night. I sneaked over to the draws by the window and took out a pair of my pyjamas, I knew he always kept a pair becuase he knew what The Doctor was like when he dropped me off, and got changed into them before slipping into the other side of the double bed.

When I woke up I went downstairs and put the radio on, starting to make breakfast when Luke came in, half asleep and already dressed for school. He sat down at the table with a slump.

"No, oh hello sister who I haven't seen in 2 weeks what a lovely suprise?"

"I knew you were here," He mumbled, opening up his laptop. "You left all your stuff over my bedroom, idiot."

"Oh someone's in a grumpy mood!" I said, walking over and putting my arms around his neck, reading over his shoulder. "You missing Maria?" He just shrugged and carried on reading the email. I smiled at him, kissing him on the cheek before going back to making breakfast.

"There are worst things then aliens," Mum said, walking in and putting the paper down on the table, not noticing me. "These children going missing, it's terrible." She said as she took a banana out of the fruit bowl before turning and seeing me. "Stop sneaking up will you!" She laughed, rushing forward and hugging me. "When did you get here?" She asked, letting go and looking at me.

"Last night." I chuckled, sitting down at the table. "Kids going missing hm?"

"It's terrible." She sighed, sitting down with me and Luke.

"Reminds me of when I first left here, after Luke was born and the Slitheen. Me, The Doctor and Rose went to see the 2012 olympics, all these kids going missing, there was a child alien, called the Isolus, inside this little girl called Chloe, and the girl drew these kids and they went missing, so did I, me and The Doctor got drew, but Rose sorted it all, and I remember at the time thinking how terrible it was and how devestated I'd be if anything happened to Luke, Maria or Clyde."

"You went to the 2012 olympics?" Luke asked.

"Time travel." I chuckled. "Bonkers."

"How is she?" Mum asked, nodding at the computer. "Does she like Washington?"

"She says it's awesome." He sighed.

"Sounds like Maria's going to fit in perfectly."

"Sounds like it."

"Hey kiddo I know it's hard," I sighed, taking his hand. "I know what it's like, when a really good friend, someone you care about goes out of your life. My best friend Martha left The TARDIS. But you'll see Maria again, and I'm pretty sure I'll see Martha, she's coming back for her mum's wedding isn't she?"

"It won't be the same."

"Maybe not, but that's not always so bad. One of the best things in life, it's always suprising us." Mum agreed.

"Morning people!" Clyde walked in, taking a piece of toast and eating it. "This is Clyde Langer reporting from Bannerman Road where at the moment, there's a new family moving in at number 36." He said before grinning at me. "Nice for you to turn up to see us Flo."

"I told you before, it's The Doctor's driving!" I said, rolling my eyes.

...

"Boy they have no idea what they're moving in over the road from." Clyde said as we stood on the drive, watching the new family move in.

"No, and they're never going to find out, do you hear? Everything we do you must keep a secret." Mum insisted.

"Why would we, it's not like it's Maria, is it?" Luke said before walking off down the road.

"We won't say anything, we just better hope Maria didn't leave anything lying around over there." Clyde said before following off after Luke.

I looked over at Mum, who was giving me a worried glance. "You're paranoid, you know that?" I chuckled before heading off back inside.

...

I pressed the bell to number 36 as Mum stood next to me, holding a flask full of tea and cakes, when the door opened and a slightly plump woman answered the door.

"Yes? Hello." The woman said.

"Sorry, I'm from over the road, thought you might not have had time to find a kettle?" Mum asked, holding up the flask.

"Tell me, do you save the world everyday or is it just on Monday's? Come in." The woman walked off and I laughed at Mum's expression, following the woman into the dining room. "Sorry it's such a state, I had a plan, of where goes where and what have you, but then you have to go and use removal men don't you? And frankly my darling, you might as well give into chaos! I'm Gita by the way." She shook Mum's hand.

"Sarah Jane."

"Well I'm very pleased to meet you Sarah."

"Jane." Mum corrected.

"Gita." The woman introduced.

"I'm Flo." I said with a smile.

"Lovely. Shall I see if I've got some cups?" She walked off to find some whilst Mum scanned the room. "So that's your house? The big one over there?" She called out from the kitchen.

"Yes." I answered.

"Do you have kids Sarah?"

"There's me." I laughed. "And my brother Luke."

"Oh I'm sorry my darling, I wasn't sure if you were or not, didn't want to be rude."

"But there's just the 2 of us." Mum said, after getting the all clear on the scans. "Me and Luke."

"Do you not live at home my darling?" She asked me.

"Oh I do, I just travel a lot so I'm not always at home." I said.

"We've got a girl, Rani. She's very clever." She said as we sat down at the big dining table behind us. "So what do you do for a living Sarah?"

"I'm a freelance journalist." Mum said.

"A journalist? My Rani wants to be a journalist. What a coincidence! Maybe she should come round, you could give her some tips."

"Mum's works very specialised." I said. "And, we really should be getting on, I've got... unpacking to do, haven't I Mum?" I asked.

"She and your Luke are bound to be friends, she wants to know everything about everyone."

"Oh good!" Mum said before we said our goodbyes.

...

Of course I'd been getting texts all day from Clyde about their daughter, Rani. She'd made friends with Luke and Clyde. It's always the way. And when I saw her, another thing clicked. Maria was Lizzie, Clyde was Jasper and Rani was Macey. I really did hate time travel sometimes.

"He's my brother!" I appeared behind Luke, wrapping my arms around her neck as he talked to the new neighbours with Clyde.

"And he's my son, I'm Sarah Jane Smith." Mum introduced.

"I've been looking at his results for the last year, very very good, remarkable infact." Haresh said.

"Genius my little brother aren't you?" I laughed, walking round and standing next to him. "Don't really get how he's the same height as me, but hey ho."

"Sarah's a journalist." Gita said to Rani.

"For real? I'm really interested in being a reporter, maybe I could come over some time?" Rani gasped.

"Oh well I really am rather busy." Mum said quickly.

"This is turning into the day he was born all over again." I muttered to Mum.

"Clyde Langer, the joker in the pack apparently." Clyde said, introducing himself to Gita. "And I see clowns that don't exist."

...

"Of course your head teacher wouldn't believe you!" I laughed, slumping down onto the sofa in the attic.

"Nor would the police." Mum agreed. "Children don't vanish out of closed rooms it's impossible as far as they're concerned."

"But what about the clown? If it's a alien taking these kids a clown disguise isn't exactly low profile is it?" Clyde asked.

"But it might know that kids are supposed to like clowns." Luke said.

"Personally they always gave me nightmares." Mum said, shivering.

"Clauphobia, the fear of clowns, Johnny Depp has it."

"In what encylopedia did you read that?" Clyde asked.

"Heat."

"We need to talk to someone who was close to this kid today," I said, shaking my head at Clyde. "His mates?"

"It's monday so they'll be at football training." Clyde shrugged.

"What about Rani?" Luke asked. "If she's been seeing the clown too..."

"I'm not having her invovled." Mum said quickly.

"She seems pretty determined to find out what's going on. And she might be in danger."

"You're right, someone should keep a eye on her."

"Yeah, yeah I will!" Clyde said eagerly.

"Only I don't think her dad would let you anywhere near her." Luke said, clapping his best friend on the back and making me burst into laughter.

"You coming with us Flo?" Clyde asked.

"Better keep an eye out here, incase any more reports come through." I said.

...

I sighed, spinning round the attic in boredom before my phone went off. I quickly pulled it out, a text from Luke: _Come out, we need to go somewhere. x_

...

Luke spoke at a million miles an hour as Rani walked with us, something about tickets and all the kids with the tickets were dissappearing.

We walked round the corner in Spellman's museum and ran straight into Mum and Clyde.

"Flo! Luke!" Mum gasped.

"Mum!" Luke cried.

"What are you doing here?" Clyde asked.

"What are we doing here? What are you doing here?" Rani asked.

"You told me to stay with her." Luke shrugged when suddenly all the clown manequins came to life.

"Well don't just stand there idiots!" I shouted. "Come on!" I pulled them along a corridor.

"Spellman's controlling them with his mind!" Mum shouted.

"Who's Spellman?" Rani asked.

"Probably... a alien." Luke paniced as we got cornere. Mum soniced the manequins and we ran past, getting to the front doors that were dead locked.

"We need to get out of here." I said, looking round for a escape.

"It thinks it has us trapped." Mum said.

"Oh no Miss Smith." A man said in a suit, who'd appeared from nowhere.

"Who are you? And what do you want?" Mum asked.

"Who am I?" He asked, turning into another outfit. "I am the pied piper who has chilled the hearts of parents for over 7 centuries." He turned into a clown. "And now, I am Obob the clown. I am all that you fear the most and you are mine to feed on!"


	11. The Day Of The Clown Part 2

"Don't let him touch you!" I shouted as I ducked under Oddbob and grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher, spraying it at him.

"Oh sweet." Spellman said, unfazed, turning round and looking at Rani.

"Luke, little help here!" Clyde exclaimed, pushing at the doors.

"Why are you coming after me?" Rani asked.

"You have a ticket." Oddbob hissed.

"Get away from her!" I said, stabbing him with the extinguisher, making him spin around and look at me. "But out of all the things your mother has seen, out of the dark, all the things you have fought, it's me that lives in her nightmares." I looked back at Mum who stood frozen to the spot as Clyde and Luke rammed the doors when suddenly, Rani's phone rang, making Oddbob freeze. The boys rammed the doors open and we ran out towards the car, not looking back.

...

The five of us clambered out of the car into the drive as Rani's phone repeatedly rang.

"Ok," Clye said, slamming the door of the car before we all walked towards the house. "Annoying ring tone have their uses. I think we've all learnt that today. But still annoying."

"It's my Mum!" Rani said nervously. "What do I tell her?"

"That you're on the way home!" Mum said, striding towards the front door.

"What you expect me to just go home like that?"

"Mum I think you need to tell her everything." Luke said desperatley. Mum turned back from the door and gaped at Luke.

"No, I told you, both of you." She said sternly, looking between Luke and Clyde.

"Please Sarah Jane," Clyde begged as Rani's phone began to ring again. "That phone is doing my head in." Mum stared at Clyde before sighing, snapping Rani's phone shut and holding it tightly in her hand.

"I'm going to offer you a choice, Rani." Mum said. "Cross over the road, go back to your parents, and the life you lived before you moved here and nothing would of changed. Or..." She hesitated a moment as Rani looked across the road at her house. "You can come with me." Rani's gaze snapped back to Mum, looking shocked. "Nothing will ever be the same again."

"I want to know the truth." Rani nodded.

"Then tell your Mum I'm giving you a little work experience." Mum said before turning back to unlock the door. "This way." Mum said as we walked through the front door and up the stairs.

"This place is massive." Rani gasped as she stared around in awe, standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Clyde put a hand on her shoulder. "You ain't seen nothing yet." He said before following Mum up the stairs.

Rani slowly made her way up the stairs with me and Luke behind her as she stared at Mum's articles in frames hung on the wall. She walked past Mum, standing on the first landing before climbing the rest of the stairs after Clyde.

"Thank you." I mouthed to Mum. She nodded at me and followed after Rani as I looked back to see Luke staring at the picture of our little gang at the skatepark. I sighed and wrapped an arm around my little brother's front with a sigh as I too stared at the picture of me, him, Mum, Maria, Clyde and Alan. It was such a nice day really, but then The Doctor appeared and I ran off to Rose's death. If only I knew I'd be heading to the battle of Canary Wharf then... I shook my head from my thoughts and sighed, knowing the young girl in that picture, that girl being Maria of course, held the universes biggest secret in her brain. Martha was protected, she knew how to defend herself if anyone came after her for information, and Donna was in The TARDIS with The Doctor, but Maria... I just had to hope we'd be ok for now. And that's why I hadn't told Mum, Clyde or Luke. I hadn't told Amy, Rory or Mels. There was no way of telling Mickey and I wouldn't tell Rose if I wanted to anyway. And Hero... I'd tried to track him down, but it had seemed... well, he'd run away from the universe. "Come on." I mumbled, placing a kiss to Luke's head.

...

"And this," Clyde said, opening the attic door as I appeared behind him, Rani and Mum. "Is where it gets interesting."

"How cool is this?" Rani gasped, walking in. "This is where you work?" She asked as we made our way in and she walked down the steps towards Mr Smith, peering round the corner.

"That's right." Mum said, walking towards her desk and throwing her coat down on the sofa.

"What's this?" She asked, picking up the distress beacon we'd collected.

"That's a distress beacon from Sileethean scout ship," I said, gently taking it out of her hands and putting it back down in its place. "Careful." She nodded and pulled her hands away as I smiled at her. "We'll have an intergalactic rescue team on the corner of Bannerman Road." Clyde scoffed behind me and I turned back to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Don't laugh Clyde Langer," I scowled. "It took a lot of work to get UNIT away, wipe people's memories and convince the Sileethean's that we were ok and that we didn't need their help."

"It was Maria!" Clyde exclaimed, raising his hands.

"You pushed her into the table." Luke said innocently, making me smirk.

"But you're a journalist." Rani said to Mum with a frown as she made her way back into the centre of the room.

"I am." Mum said.

"What with alien gizmos in her attic? Who doesn't bat an eyelid at a shape changing alien clown pied piper thing?" Rani asked, standing on one of the steps and looking back at me and Mum by Mr Smith.

"That's more of a... hobby." Mum shrugged.

"Bit of a lifestyle for me." I muttered.

"Ok," Rani laughed. "Any second now, my alarm is gonna go off and it's my second day at Park Vale. A new school with your Dad as head teacher, anyone would have nutty dreams."

"Alright Rani." Mum said, approaching the young girl and putting her arm around her before leading her over to the alien gizmos. "This is what we do. Luke, Clyde, Flo and me."

"Part time." I added. "I have, other arrangements." I muttered, walking past them to the other side of Mr Smith and slumping myself into the office chair.

"When aliens come to Earth," Mum began to explain. "And they do, all the time. If they're friendly, and need help, we're here to give it."

"On the other hand," Clyde said from the upper level off the attic, hands shoved in his pockets. "If they're looking for trouble, we give them that too."

"Yeah well I wouldn't have put it quite like that." Mum called over Rani's shoulder before turning back to her.

"But we have saved the world 12 times." Luke said, making his way down the steps towards Rani.

"For real?" Rani gasped, looking round at him.

"No one is keeping score!" Mum said.

"Except Luke." Me and Clyde said in unison.

"What's important are the rules." Mum said, looking back at Rani. "We look after each other, we respect all life whatever planet it's from, and we tell noone what we do, do you understand? Noone."

"Yes." Rani nodded. "I understand." She said as Mum brushed past her and turned to Mr Smith.

"Mr Smith, I need you!" Rani looked up in shock as the fanfare blew through the attic, steam flew everywhere and Mr Smith opened up.

"What's happening?" Rani gasped as I stood up and Clyde walked over to us so we all stood in a line, staring at Mr Smith.

"Don't worry, it's only Mr Smith." I shrugged.

"Yes Sarah Jane." Mr Smith said in his usual, monotone voice. "How can I help you?"

"It's a computer!" Rani gasped with joy. "A talking computer. You've got a talking computer in your wall!"

"Actually he's a Zylog." Luke said. "A crystalline lifeform, just about the smartest in the galaxy." I raised an eyebrow at him. "But computer is close enough. Super computer."

"Mr Smith, I want you to tell me everything you know about the Pied Piper and a clown, called Oddbob."

"And this is to do with the children that have gone missing?" Mr Smith enquired as he run his scans, showing different newspaper cuttings on the screen. "Across America, in the period 1932 to 1940 there were dissappearences of children connected to a travelling clown known as Oddbob."

"So many." Mum said, watching the screen intently.

"What about the Pied Piper?" Rani asked.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've been introduced." Mr Smith said.

"This is Rani." Mum said quietly. "She's just visiting. What about the Pied Piper?"

"A legendary figure who in 1284 rigged the German town of Hamelin of rats in the mean of a magical tube. When the town refused to pay his fee, he enchanted away all it's children."

"Could there be any truth in the story?" I asked, subconciously rubbing my stoumach.

"It's a matter of historical fact that Hamelin lost all its children."

"Whoah, you mean it's true?!" Rani exclaimed.

"I want you to scan this." Mum said, placing one of the tickets to Spellman's museum on Mr Smith's shelf.

"I'm detecting traces of an alien energy." Mr Smith said as the scan ran through on the screen.

"What sort of energy?" Luke asked.

"I can find no comprobable data for analysis."

"So, this is something from way off." Clyde guessed.

"Now Mr Smith, show me the historical extraterrestrial records for lower Saxony in the 13th century." Mum said, making Mr Smith change his screen to a map at the time, running the records through.

"What's that?" Luke asked. "In the Weserbergland mountains?" It zoomed in to show something.

"A meteorite fragment that landed in 1283." Mr Smith informed us.

"The year before the Piper arrived! Yes, the Piper was in the meteor!" Rani exclaimed, making me and Clyde share a look.

"The meteorite had a diameter of 30.12 centimetres. An unlikely spacecraft, Rani."

"Still," Mum said, giving Rani a small smile. "What do we know about it?"

"It's currently on loan for scientific research from the University of Munic to the UK."

"Do you mean it's here?" Clyde asked.

"And he came with it." Luke said in realisation.

"Perhaps if I could analyse a fragment, I could provide some information on the energy sample." Mr Smith said.

"Of course." Mum said. "Where is it?"

"I bet you it's at the Pharos Institute." I whispered to Clyde.

"The Pharos Institute." Mr Smith confirmed. Mum looked over, sharing a look with Clyde as I smirked to myself.

...

"Why do they scare you?" Me and Luke asked in unison, popping up behind Mum in the living room as she sat, looking at her laptop at pictures of Clowns.

Mum jumped, "You two." She laughed.

"Oddbob." Luke said as I sat down next to her on the sofa and pulled him onto my lap. "He scared you." Mum gently shut the laptop close. "I've never seen that before."

"When my unt was bringing me up," Mum said, placing the laptop on the sofa next to her. "My room was filled with lots of old toys that used to be hers. One of them was a marronette. A puppet clown. I never liked it. It always seemed to be watching me." She gulped as I reached over and squeezed her hand. "Then one night, there was the most tremendous thunder storm. I screamed the house down..."

"What happened?" Luke asked as he slipped off my lap into the tiny gap between me and Mum. She gave us a small smile and put her arm around the both of us.

"My Aunt told me not to be so silly. It was a puppet, it was a trick of the light in the storm... perhaps it was. But, it was the first time I ever cried out for my parents, you see, I never really knew them." She wiped a tear from her eyes as Luke looked at me with a frown.

"Nan and Grandad died when Mum was just a baby." I explained before we both reached over and hugged her.

...

"Be careful you two today, yeah?" I asked, leaning against the kitchen counter in my pyjamas as I watched Clyde and Luke eat their breakfast. "Ring me if you need anything, promise."

"We'll be fine." Clyde said, rolling his eyes at me. "Why are you getting so paranoid? We do this all the time."

I gave him a small smile, placing my hand on my abdomenom. "I'm just love you guys, ok? Don't want to lose you."

Luke grinned at me, "We're not going anywhere."

...

"The meteorite originated in the Gigorovax cluster." Mr Smith said as the scan ran through on the screen. I sat on the sofa, watching as Mum was at her desk.

"Never heard of it." Me and Mum said in unison.

"It is a dark nebula on the cusp of the Bezita Vordax system."

"What about energy traces?" Mum asked as I got up and we both walked towards Mr Smith.

"There is an energy residue matching the sample I analysed."

"Well go on!" I said.

"There are stories of enteties in this region created by emotions, such as fear."

"And this energy... came here in a meteor." Mum said. "It fell near Hamelin where people were terrified by a plague of rats and this fear manifested at the Pied Piper!"

"And once manifested the entity required more fear for it's survival."

"It took the children." I whispered. "To create fear. And it's been doing the same thing ever since." I gasped as Mum's phone began to ring. She quickly fished it out of her pocket and answered it.

"Luke?" She asked down the phone before she looked over at me. "It must have been what he was talking about. He's going to make the whole school vanish." She quickly pulled the phone closer to her ear. "Luke, whatever you do, don't follow them into that museum. We'll be there as soon as we can." She quickly hung up and smirked at me before turning to Mr Smith. "Mr Smith, I have a job for you."

...

"We tried to get them to turn back," Rani said as me and Mum got out of the car to find the whole school walking down the street holding a red balloon with Rani, Clyde and Luke running after them. "But they won't listen."

"It's like they're zombies!" Clyde said.

"I think Spellman's controlling them, like he did with the clowns." Mum said.

"What's he gonna do with them?" Luke asked. "It's practically the whole school."

"They're gonna vanish, like the others, without a trace. It's not the children he's interested in, it's the fear of their dissappearance causes. Spellman is an energy entity, he feeds on fear." We eventually found ourselves outside of the museum as Spellman stepped out, calling out to the kids.

"Step this way!" Spellman called out.

"I don't think so." Mum said, stepping forward.

"I don't think you have any say in the matter, Miss Smith." He replied smugly as the students one by one walked past her into the museum.

"Perhaps I should phone a friend?" Mum suggested, flipping open her phone. Suddenly, all the students stopped and took out their phones as they began to ring, making me wince slightly at all the loud phones ringing. "Oh, looks like his line is busy." Mum said as the students held their phones to their ears.

"It must be Mr Smith." Luke said to Rani and Clyde. "He's scanned the school records and rung every pupil." And one by one, the students let go of the balloons and they floated up into the sky.

"The phone signals are interfering with Spellman's power!" Clyde said in realization, grinning at me. The students all returned to normal, chattering away before walking past us. Then it went black.

...

"MUM!" Luke called out into the dark.

"Stop shouting Luke." I muttered, standing next to him. "It won't make it any better. "It's a last chance attempt, he's trying to feed off Mum's fear because he has us." I looked around the darkness. "We're between worlds, in the void I think." I mumbled.

...

"Mum." Luke stumbled out in front of me towards Mum, Rani and Clyde inside Spellman's museum.

"Luke, Flo!" Mum gasped, rushing forward and hugging us.

"What happened?" Luke asked, looking around as I watched Mum, holding out the piece of meteorite in her hand. "Where's Spellman?"

"I imagine you could say, he's finally pied the piper." She grinned, holding out the meteorite proudly.

...

"The children taken in recent weeks have all been found safe and well." Mr Smith reported as Mum put the metorite carefully into a metal box with a pair of tweezers. "They have no memory of what happened to them, but were released when the energy was returned to the meteor fragments."

"And that is going in here." Mum said, putting the tweezers down next to the box before shutting the lid.

"Hulkanite steel." I said, nodding at the box. "Nothing can get through it. Not even thoughts."

...

"So what happens now?" Rani asked as we all stepped out onto the drive. "Do you trust me to keep all these secrets?"

"When it comes to getting a true glimpse of the universe there are two types of people." Mum said as we slowly walked down the drive. "Those who refuse to believe, that would tell themselves anything to deny themselves the evidence of their eyes. And those who embrace the universe and see how special life is. I want to keep it that way by staying safe and secret."

"And that's me?"

"That's all of us." Mum said, putting her arm around Rani and Luke as I put mine around Clyde as Haresh and Gita came walking up the drive.

"Rani!" Haresh said. "Where do you think you've been? I would have thought you'd have had more sense than to get involved in this walk out!"

"Walk out?" Mum asked with a frown.

"Stupid prank." Haresh said, shaking his head. "The whole school went walk about then wonders back a couple of hours later claiming not to know what they'd been doing. Obviously some bright spark thought it'd be a good way of winding up the new headteacher." He raised an eyebrow, glancing at Clyde.

"Yeah, of course." Clyde said. "Cause I'm the joker in the pack, aren't I?"

"We had free period." Rani said quickly. "We've been in the library in town, researching for a project. Luke, Clyde and Me."

"See?!" Gita said happily. "That's why she wasn't answering her phone!"

"I was at the library with Flo, and we brought them home." Mum said with a smile.

"I thought I'd take your advice sir, try applying my brain to something." Clyde said sarcastically.

"Oh, by the way." Gita said. "I saw it on the news, all those kids turned up, like nothing ever happened? Very happy ever after. Bit weird."

"Not weird Mum." Rani said. "Surprising. The universe is a surprising place."

"Anyway, Haresh is making tea. You're all welcome to share." Gita said, grinning at all of us.

"Oh we'd love to." I said, sharing a look with Mum. "But we have work to do, but Luke?"

"Yeah, please." Luke said as Gita linked arms with him and they walked off down the drive with Rani.

"And you." I whispered, pushing Clyde forward.

"Look at me with my new headmaster cooking me tea!" He grinned before following after them. Me and Mum shared a smile before linking hands and making our way back into the house.

**A/N - I just want to apologise for the quality of the last chapter, it wasn't great and I know that. I actually wrote it a long time ago. Next up is The Unicorn and the Wasp, great episode. Before we finally meet River Song. Excitiiiiiiiiiiing! So, yep, enjoy and review you beautiful people! xoxo**


	12. The Unicorn And The Wasp

"I hate morning sickness." I said groggily as I stumbled into console room. I peered round the corner to see Donna and The Doctor standing outside the doors in some sort of garden.

"_1920's._" The baby told me.

"Yes thank you," I muttered, walking towards the doors. "I can read the scanner."

"Smell that air." The Doctor said cheerfully. "Grass and lemonade ... and a little bit of mint. A hint of mint, must be the 1920s."

"You can tell what year it is just by smelling?" Donna asked.

"Oh yeah!"

"Or maybe that big vintage car coming up the drive gave it away." I said sarcastically, looking at the big vintage car pulling up to the manor. We slipped out of the TARDIS and hid behind a bush, watching a few guests converse with the footman.

"Never mind Planet Zog, a party in the 1920s, that's more like it!" Donna grinned.

"Problem is, we haven't been invited." The Doctor muttered before taking the psychic paper out of his pocket and waving it in front of Donna's face. "Oh I forgot, yes we have!"

...

"Is that the only dress you could find?" The Doctor asked as we leant against the TARDIS. I stared back at him angrily, then looked down at the dress I'd worn when we were in 1913, with the sleeves cut off.

"Seriously?" I asked dryly. "Before you know it, I won't be able to fit in anything apart from your jumpers from your last regeneration!"

He blinked a few times at me before turning back to The TARDIS and knocking on the door. "We'll be late for cocktails!" He called through. Eventually, Donna stepped out, wearing a 1920's style brown dress.

"What d'you think? Flapper or slapper?" She asked.

The Doctor smiled and linked arms with both of us. "Flapper. You look lovely!"

...

Classical music played through garden as we walked through. The Indian housekeeper noticed us and she began to clap impatiently as we approached her.

"Look sharp, we have guests!" She shouted, bustling off.

"Good afternoon!" The Doctor said cheerfully, waving, as the footman approached us.

"Drinks sir? Ma'am?"

"Sidecar, please." Donna said.

"And a lime and soda, thank you." The Doctor nodded.

The footman turned to me and I shook my head with a smile, placing a hand to my stoumach uneasily.

"_How about a banana martini?_" The baby asked, making me just roll my eyes.

"May I announce, Lady Clemency Eddison." The butler announced as an older woman with blonde hair, who I presume was Lady Eddison, walked over and shook The Doctor's hand.

"Lady Eddison." The Doctor said cheerfully.

"Forgive me, but who exactly might you be... and what are you doing here?" Lady Eddison asked in confusion.

"I'm the Doctor. This is my wife, Florence. And this is Miss Donna Noble... of the, Chiswick Nobles."

"Good afternoon, my lady." Donna said with a posh accent. "Topping day, what? Spiffing! Top hole!"

"No no no no, no. Don't do that, don't." The Doctor said quietly to Donna before presenting the psychic paper to Lady Eddison.

"We were thrilled to receive your invitation, my lady." I said. "We met at the Ambassador's reception."

"Doctor, Florence, how could I forget you?" She laughed quickly. "But one must be sure with the Unicorn on the loose."

"A unicorn? Brilliant! Where?" The Doctor asked excitedly.

"The Unicorn." Lady Edison said. "The jewel thief. And nobody knows who he is. He's just struck again, snatched Lady Babbington's pearls right from under her nose."

"Funny place to wear pearls." Donna muttered as an elderly man in a wheelchair started coming towards us, being pushed by a young man dressed smartly.

"May I announce, the Colonel Hugh Curbishley, the Honourable Roger Curbishley." The footman announced as the two men appeared next to Lady Eddison.

"My husband. And my son." Lady Eddison said with a smile.

"Forgive me for not rising." The Colonel said. "Never been the same ever since that flu epidemic back in '18."

"My word, you are a super lady." Roger said to Donna.

"Oh, I like the cut of your jib. Chin chin." Donna grinned.

The Doctor shook his hand. "Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"How do you do?" Roger asked.

"Very well."

"Your usual, sir?" One of the footmen asked, holding out a tray to Roger.

"Ah, thank you Davenport. Just how I like it." Roger nodded.

"How come she's an Eddison but her husband and son are Curbishleys?" Donna asked me and The Doctor quietly.

"The Eddison title descends through her." The Doctor whispered. "One day Roger will be a lord."

"Robina Redmond!" The footman introduced. We looked over to see a woman with black hair wearing a red dance.

"She's the absolute hit of the social scene, a must." Lady Eddison hissed to us as Robina approached us. "Miss Redmond!" She said cheerfully, shaking her hand.

"Spiffing to meet you at last, my lady. What super fun!" Robina said with a grin when a blonde man with a vicar collar appeared next to us.

"Reverend Arnold Golightly." The footman announced.

"Ah, Reverend." Lady Eddison said, shaking the Reverend's hand. "How are you? I heard about the church last Thursday night. Those ruffians breaking in."

"You apprehended them, I hear." The Colonel said.

"As the Christian Fathers taught me, we must forgive them their trespasses. Quite literally." The REverend said, giving us all a small smile.

"Some of these young boys deserve a descent thrashing." Roger scoffed.

"Couldn't agree more, sir." Davenport said, glacing at him.

"Typical." Donna said as we watched from afar. "All the decent men are on the other bus."

"Or Time Lords." The Doctor frowned.

"Now, my lady, what about this special guest you promised us?" Roger asked Lady Eddison.

"Here she is," Lady Eddison pointed across the way the rest of the guests entered as a blonde woman in blue dress came walking over. "A lady who needs no introduction!" Everyone began to clap and Me and The Doctor shared a look in confusion.

"No, no, please." The woman said nervously with a smile. "Don't. Thank you, Lady Eddison. Honestly, there's no need." She turned and held her hand out to The Doctor. "Agatha Christie."

"What about her?" Donna asked.

"That's me."

"Nooo." Donna gasped, making Agatha laugh. "You're kidding."

"Agatha Christie!" The Doctor grinned, shaking her hand. "I was just talking about you the other day. I said, "I bet she's brilliant". I'm the Doctor, my wife Florence and this is Donna. Ohhh, I love your stuff. What a mind! You fool me every time. Well, almost every time. Well, once or twice. Well, once. But it was a good once!"

Agatha blinked and looked between me and The Doctor, "You make a rather unusual couple."

"You think?" The Doctor frowned.

"Well obviously. No wedding ring." I looked down at my finger and nodded. Ah.

"Oh oh, you don't miss a trick." The Doctor grinned as I sheepishly stared at my hand before looking back up at her.

"So not married. I'll keep your secret, don't worry." She said, glancing back at Lady Eddison chatting with the guests before looking back at us. "I'd stay that way if I were you." She said, giving me a small smile. "The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture."

"Uh..." I nodded, when Lady Eddison turned to us.

"Mrs Christie, I'm so glad you could come." Lady Eddison said. "I'm one of your greatest followers. I've read all six of your books. Is, ah, Mr Christie not joining us?"

"Is he needed?" Agatha asked. "Can't a woman make her own way in the world?"

"Don't give my wife ideas." The Colonel laughed.

"Now Mrs Christie, I have a question. Why a Belgian detective?" Roger asked as The Doctor lenaed over at snatched the Colonel's newspaper.

"Belgians make such lovely buns." Agatha shrugged, making everyone laugh.

"I say, where on earth is Professor Peach? He'd love to meet Mrs Christie."

"Said he was going to the library." The Reverend said as The Doctor beckoned me and Donna over.

"Miss Chandrakala, would you go and collect the professor?" Lady Eddison asked the indian house keeper as we walked over to The Doctor.

"At once, milady." Miss Chandrakala replied before rushing off.

"The date on this newspaper." The Doctor muttered, holding out the newspaper to us.

"What about it?" Donna asked.

"It's the day Agatha Christie disappeared." We looked over at Agatha in confusion as she talked with the rest of the guests. "She'd just discovered her husband was having an affair."

"You'd never think to look at her. Smiling away."

"Well, she's British and moneyed." I shrugged. "That's what they do. They carry on."

"Except for this one time." The Doctor said. "No one knows exactly what happened, she just vanished. Her car will be found tomorrow morning by the side of a lake. Ten days later, Agatha Christie turns up in a hotel in Harrogate."

"Said she'd lost her memory, didn't she?" I whispered. The Doctor nodded back at me.

"She never spoke about the disappearance till the day she died, but whatever it was…"

"It's about to happen." Donna finished him.

"Right here, right now..." I muttered as I looked over to the door of house to see Miss Chandrakala running out of the house.

"Professor! The library! Murder! Murder!" She screamed. I rolled my eyes as The Doctor looked over at me.

"Something _always _happens." I groaned.

...

The Doctor, Donna, Agatha and I bolted into the library to find Professor Peach's body laying on the floor. The Doctor ran to the body, bending down and taking his glasses out as Greeves the footman appeared behind us.

"Oh my goodness." Greeves gasped.

"Bashed on the head. Blunt instrument." The Doctor said. "Watch broke as he fell," He turned over the professor's wrist to look at the smashed watch. "Time of death was quarter past four." He jumped up and began searching through the papers on the desk.

"Bit of pipe." Donna said, lifting up the bit of pipe next to the body carefully. "Call me Hercule Poirot, but I reckon that's blunt enough."

"Nothing worth killing for in that lot, dry as dust." The Doctor muttered.

"Hold on." I laughed. "The body in the library? I mean, Professor Peach, in the library, with the lead piping?" The Doctor stared over at me as the other members of the party drifted into the room, looking over at the body in horror, talking simulataneously.

"Someone should call the police." Agatha said.

"You don't have to." The Doctor said, taking the psychic paper out of his pocket and flashing it to everyone. "Chief Inspector Smith from Scotland Yard. Known as the Doctor. Miss Noble is the plucky young girl who helps us out along with my Wife."

"I say." Lady Eddison gasped.

"Mrs Christie was right. Go into the sitting room. I will question each of you in turn."

"Come along, do as the Doctor says. Leave the room undisturbed." Agatha said, pushing everyone out before shutting the door leaving just The Doctor, Donna and I.

"The plucky young girl who helps me out?" Donna asked as The Doctor got down on the ground.

"No policewomen in 1926." The Doctor said.

"I'll pluck you in a minute. Why don't we phone the real police?"

"Well the last thing we want is PC Plod sticking his nose in." I laughed as The Doctor took a pencil out of his pocket and scraped it along the floor. He pulled it up and turned back to show me it, now covered in a yellow slime. "Especially now I've found this! Morphic residue."

"Morphic?" Donna frowned. "Doesn't sound very 1926."

"It's left behind when certain species genetically re-encode." I said.

"The murderer's an alien."

"Which means, one of that lot is an alien in human form." The Doctor said.

"Yeah, but think about it. There's a murder, a mystery, and Agatha Christie."

"So? Happens to us all the time." He sniffed the slime then held it up to Donna.

"No, but isn't that a bit weird? Agatha Christie didn't walk around surrounded by murders. Not really. I mean that's like meeting Charles Dickens, and he's surrounded by ghosts. At Christmas."

Me and The Doctor smirked at each other, "Well..."

"Oh, come on! It's not like we could drive across country and find Enid Blyton having tea with Noddy. Could we? Noddy's not real. Is he? Tell me there's no Noddy!"

"There's no Noddy." The Doctor said as we got up and walked out of the library.

"Next thing you know, you'll be telling me it's like Murder On The Orient Express, and they all did it!" As we stepped out of the library, we bumped straight into Agatha.

"Murder on the Orient Express?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah. One of your best!" Donna grinned.

"But not yet." I whispered.

"Marvellous idea though." Agatha nodded.

"Yeah." Donna said. "Tell you what, copyright Donna Noble, okay?"

"Anyway!" The Doctor interupted. "Flo, Agatha and I will question the suspects, Donna, you search the bedrooms. Look for clues." He leaned in towards Donna. "Any more residue." He whispered, handing her a magnifying glass. "You'll need this."

Donna took it out of his hand, eyeing it oddly. "Is that for real?"

"Go on. You're ever so plucky." Donna gave him a look before heading up the stairs as The Doctor grinned at Agatha. "Right then! Solving a murder mystery with Agatha Christie, brilliant!"

"How like a man to have fun, while there's disaster all around him." Agatha commented.

"Sorry, yeah."

"I'll work with you, gladly. But for the sake of justice. Not your own amusement."

"Yeah."

...

"No alibis for any of them." Agatha said as The Doctor pulled me onto his lap as he sat on the chair we were interviewing the suspects in whilst Agatha paced the room. "The secret adversary remains hidden. We must look for a motive, use "the little grey cells"."

"Oh, yes, little grey cells, good old Poirot." The Doctor nodded, placing his hand on my stoumach. "Do you know, we've been to Belgium, yeah."

"Yeah." I nodded in agreement.

"I remember... we were deep in the Ardennes, trying to find Charlemagne. He'd been kidnapped by an insane computer."

"Doctor!" Agatha frowned, making The Doctor shake himself from his thoughts. "Charlemagne lived centuries ago!"

"We've got a very good memory." I said quickly.

"For such an experienced detective, you missed a big clue." Agatha said, eyeing The Doctor.

"What, that bit of paper you nicked out the fire?" He asked.

"You were looking the other way!"

"Yeah, but I saw you reflected in the glass of the bookcase."

"You crafty man." She smirked at him before taking a piece of paper out of her pocket. "This is all that was left." She handed it to me and The Doctor peered at the bit of paper that read 'maiden'.

"What's that first letter? N or M?"

"It's an M." I said. "The word is maiden."

"Maiden!" The Doctor shouted, making me jump. "What does that mean?"

"We're still no further forward." Agatha said. "Our nemesis remains at large. Unless Miss Noble's found something."

Then there was a piercing scream.

...

The Doctor, Agatha and I arrived, running towards Donna who was standing breathlessly outside the door of one of the outside bedrooms.

"It's a giant wasp!" Donna gasped.

"What d'you mean, a giant wasp?" The Doctor asked.

"I mean, a wasp that's giant!"

"It's only a silly little insect." Agatha said, rolling her eyes.

"When I say giant, I don't mean big, I mean flippin' enormous! Look at its sting!" She moved out of the way to show us a huge sting sticking out of the door.

"Let me see." The Doctor said, pushing past her and bursting in the room. "It's gone." He said, as we looked around the dusty, empty, room. "Buzzed off."

"But that's fascinating..." Agatha said, kneeling down to look at the sting.

"D-D-D-Don't touch it! Don't touch it! Let me..." He kneeled down next to her and took a test tube out of his pocket and collected some of the slime. "Giant wasp... Well, tons of amorphous insectivorous lifeforms, but none in this galactic vector."

"I think I understood some of those words. Enough to know that you're completely potty."

"Lost its sting though, that makes it defenceless." Donna frowned.

"Oh, creature this size, got to be able to grow a new one." I said, shaking my head at her.

"Can we return to sanity?" Agatha asked. "There are no such things as giant wasps!"

"Exactly." The Doctor said. "So, question is, what's it doing here?"

And then _another _piercing scream.

...

By the time we got outside, we found Miss Chandrakala laying on the floor with blood coming out of her mouth with a small statue next to her.

We all knelt round her, "The... poor... little... child..." She croaked out before her eyes shut, dead.

"There!" The Doctor shouted. I followed his gaze as to see a giant wasp flying off above us.

"Come on!" The Doctor said, grabbing my hand and running off into the house with Donna and Agatha running after us.

"Hey, this makes a change, there's a monster, and we're chasing it." Donna laughed nervously.

"Can't be a monster, it's a trick, they do it with mirrors!" Agatha shouted as we ran up the stairs to find the wap. "By all that's holy!"

"Oh, but you are wonderful!" I grinned before the wasp flied towards us.

"Now, just stop, stop there!" The Doctor begged.

"Oi, fly boy!" Donna shouted, raising the magnifying glass at the wasp, making it fly off.

"Don't let it get away! Quick! Before it reverts back to human form." Everyone began to run again as I bent over breathlessly.

"Really?" I shouted after them, walking after them. By the time I caught up up with them, all of the guests were peering out of their doors as The Doctor looked along the corridor, dissappointed.

"Oh that's just cheating!" He groaned.

...

"My faithful companion, this is terrible!" Lady Eddison gasped, in tears as everyone sat down in the drawing room.

"Excuse me, my lady, but she was on her way to tell you something." Davenport said.

"She never found me. She had an appointment with death instead."

"She said "The poor little child". Does that mean anything to anyone?" The Doctor asked.

"No children in this house for years," The Colonel said, glancing over at Roger and Davenport. "Highly unlikely there will be."

"Mrs Christie, you must have twigged something, you've written simply the best detective stories." Lady Eddison begged.

"Tell us, what would Poirot do?" The Reverend asked.

"Heavens sake!" The Colonel shouted. "Cards on the table, woman, you should be helping us."

"But, I'm merely a writer." Agatha said nervously.

"But surely you can crack it, these events, they're exactly like one of your plots." Robina said.

"That's what I've been saying!" Donna exclaimed. "Agatha, that's gotta mean something."

"But, what?" Agatha sighed. "I've no answers. None. I'm sorry, all of you, I'm truly sorry, but I've failed. If anyone can help us then it's the Doctor, not me."

...

"I think the baby's getting bored." I muttered, placing a hand on my stoumach as me and The Doctor sat in the drawing room, waiting for Donna and Agatha to come back inside.

The Doctor looked over from the fireplace with a frown, "Bored?"

"He keeps asking for a banana."

The Doctor smirked at me, "That's my boy." I grinned and shook my head at him as the door opened and Donna and Agatha came in, carrying a small box. "What's that?" The Doctor asked, taking the box from Donna and putting it on the table before opening it to reveal it full of strange tools. "Oh! Someone came here tooled up. The sort of stuff a thief would use."

"The Unicorn?" Agatha asked. "He's here!"

"The Unicorn and the wasp..." I muttered as Greeves entered the room, carrying a tray with drinks.

"Your drinks, ladies. Doctor." He said, placing the tray on the table as we all sat down.

"Very good, Greeves." The Doctor nodded as we all took our drinks.

"How about the science stuff, what did you find?" Donna asked.

The Doctor took out a test tube, holding it up to Donna. "Vespiform sting. Vespiforms have got hives in the Silfrax galaxy."

"Again, you talk like Edward Lear." Agatha commented.

"But for some reason, this one's behaving like a character in one of your books." He took a sip of his drink, eyeing the test tube.

"Come on, Agatha, what would Miss Marple do?" Donna asked. "She'd have overheard something vital by now, because the murderer thinks she's just a harmless old lady."

"Clever idea. Miss Marple? Who writes those?" Agatha asked.

"Um, copyright Donna Noble, add it to the list."

"Donna..." The Doctor began.

"Okay, we could split the copyright."

"No. Something's inhibiting my enzymes. ARGH!" He shouted out in agony, grabbing the chair arms. "I've been poisoned!"

"What do we do? What do we do?!" Donna asked as the three of us bolted to The Doctor's side.

"Hold on." I whispered as he grabbed my hand, squeezing it. "You're not regenerating on me."

Agatha grabbed the drink and sniffed it, "Bitter almonds! It's cyanide! Sparkling cyanide!"

The Doctor jumped up and ran out of the room, pulling me with him.

...

The four of us burst into the kitchen and The Doctor staggered up to Davenport and grabbed him.

"Ginger beer!" The Doctor shouted at him.

"I beg your pardon?" Davenport replied.

"I need ginger beer!" The Doctor groaned before stumbling over to a shelf, sweeping stuff off in search.

"The gentleman's gone mad!" One of the women shouted as The Doctor grabbed a bottle and drank from it before pouring the rest on his head.

"I'm an expert in poisons, Doctor." Agatha said as he spat out the drink. "There's no cure! It's fatal!"

"Not for him!" I said, clutching my head, trying to think. "He can stimulate the inhibited enzymes into reversal... Protein!" I looked up and began to run around the kitchen as The Doctor leant against the worktop. "We need protein!" I searched through the kitchen as Agatha and Donna helped.

"Walnuts?" Donna asked.

"Brilliant!" The Doctor cheered, snatching the jar from her and stuffing hand full in his mouth before shaking his hand up and down.

"I can't understand you!" Donna gasped, watching him.

"Salt!" I said.

"What about this?" Donna asked, showing me a brown bag.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Salt!"

"That's too salty!"

"Oh, that's too salty!" Donna said sarcastically as I handed The Doctor a jar of anchovies, which he gobbled straight away. "What's that?"

"Anchovies!" I said nervously. "Last thing, a shock."

Donna looked back at me, "Sorry Flo." She gave me a quick smile before pulling The Doctor forward by his face and kissing him, stumbling across the room before The Doctor pulled back and looked up at the sky, a grey gas bursting from his mouth.

"Detox!" The Doctor cheered, wiping his mouth and looking back down. "I must do that more often!" He suddenly realised what he had said and looked between me and Donna. "I mean, the, the detox."

"Doctor, you are impossible!" Agatha gasped. "Who are you?"

...

A thunder storm roared outside as I sat nervously next to The Doctor as we all sat around the dining table. "A terrible day for all of us." The Doctor commented. "The Professor struck down, Miss Chandrakala taken cruelly from us… and yet we still take dinner."

"We are British, Doctor." Lady Eddison said dryly. "What else must we do?£

"Then someone tried to poison me. Any one of you had the chance to put cyanide in my drink. But it rather gave my wife an idea."

"And what would that be?" The Reverend asked me.

"Well … poison." I smirked. "Drink up!" Everyone looked up at me suspiciously. "I've laced the soup with pepper."

"Ah, I thought it was jolly spicy." The Colonel nodded.

"But the active ingredient of pepper is piperine. Traditionally used as an insecticide." I smirked as everyone shared a look. "So, anyone got the shivers?"

Suddenly, a strike of lightning echoed from outside and the window blew open violently, making the candles blow out and the room go dark.

"What the deuce is that!?"

"Listen… listen, listen, listen!"

There was an echo of silence before a buzz filled the room.

"No, it can't be..." Lady Eddison said quietly before another strike of lightning filled the room.

"Show yourself, demon!" Agatha shouted.

"Nobody move!" The Doctor called out into the darkness as everyone began to move around. "No, don't, stay where you are!"

I got up to move when a hand covered my mouth. My eyes widened and I turned to see who it was, only for an arm to be put round my waist, over my arms as I was dragged back. I screamed into the hand, only for no noise to come out. I quickly bit into the hand, only for the person to casually shake me off before something sharp stabbed into my arm, making me automatically pass out.

When I woke up again, I was laying on the sofa of the library. I sat up, shaking my head as my eye sight adjusted and I looked over to see a man and a woman, both with brown hair, standing against the door.

"What's going on?" I asked as they looked up at me. I frowned, watching the man, he looked familiar... very familiar... "Luke?" I gulped, getting up and scurrying back a bit in fear. It was my baby brother, looking a lot older, not much younger than myself.

"Don't panic, Flo." Luke said, smiling at me.

"You sound so different." I frowned. "So, confident, what? You're so much _older_, how are you in 1926?" He grinned at my confusion. "Where's Rani and Clyde? Is everything ok?"

"Flo!" He laughed. "Everything is ok."

"The Doctor..."

"It's ok, he just thinks you got knocked out by the Vespiform." He smiled and grabbed my hand, pulling me out into the corridor before turning to the woman with him. "Oswald, get back to The TARDIS." She nodded at him and ran off in a different direction as Luke dragged me the opposite way.

"Who was she?" I asked.

"Spoilers." Luke replied as we ran out of the house, round the side towards the front. "Right, basically, Lady Eddison is the Reverend's mother, the Reverend is the Vespiform, the Firestone is a telepathic recorder, Agatha is now trying to drown it in the lake and Robina Redmond is the Unicorn."

"Um. Ok, but how do you know that?" He stopped abruptly as we watched Donna and The Doctor run out of the front door.

"Timelines are complicated." He muttered, placing a kiss on my head before pushing me towards The Doctor and Donna.

I glanced back at him one more time before running up to them, "Doctor!" The Doctor looked back at me and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the car with them.

"You ok now?"

I nodded with a false smile, "Just slipped in shock, whacked my head."

"You said this is the night Agatha Christie loses her memory." Donna said as The Doctor began to drive down the drive after Agatha.

"Time is in flux, Donna!" The Doctor said. "For all we know, this is the night Agatha Christie loses her life and history gets changed."

"But where's she going?"

"The lake! She's heading for the lake. What's she doing?" The car stopped quickly and we jumped out as we watched Agatha holding up the Firestone at the Vespiform.

"Here I am! The honey in the trap." Agatha called out. "Come to me, Vespiform..."

"She's controlling it!" Donna gasped.

"Its mind is based on her thought processes." The Doctor said as we rushed up to her. "They're linked!"

"Quite so, Doctor!" Agatha said. "If I die, then this creature might die with me."

The Doctor stepped in front of Agatha, nervously facing the Vespiform. "Don't hurt her! You're not meant to be like this. You've got the wrong template in your mind."

"It's not listening." Donna said. Quickly she bolted forward and snatched the Firestone before throwing the lake. The Vespiform chased after it, making it drown in a purple glow as the four of us watched.

"How d'you kill a wasp?" I asked sadly. "Drown it. Just like his father."

"Donna, that thing couldn't help itself." The Doctor said.

"Neither could I!" Donna said defensively.

"Death comes as the end... and justice is served." Agatha said.

"Murder at the Vicar's rage." The Doctor said, making me raise an eyebrow at him. "Needs a bit of work."

"Just one mystery left, Doctor. Who exactly are you?"

Doctor Who?

Shit, Luke!

I gasped and turned, bolting up the lake, ignoring The Doctor's shouts after me, and kept running until I reached the house.

I bolted past the library and down the hallway I watched the woman, Oswald, Luke was with, to be faced with... The TARDIS... materializing away

"Luke?" I called out nervously, my feet fixed to the floor as the second TARDIS vanished.

...

"Lady Eddison, the Colonel, and all the staff … what about them?" Donna asked as we stood in the doorway of The TARDIS, watching Agatha walk towards the hotel. I'd decided not to say anything to The Doctor abotu Luke, and just decided that everything would eventually make sense at some point.

"Shameful story." The Doctor shrugged. "They'd never talk of it. Too British. While the Unicorn does a bunk, back to London town. She could never even say she was there."

"But, what happens to Agatha?"

"Oh, great life! Met another man, married again. Saw the world. Wrote and wrote and wrote."

"She never thought her books were any good, though. And she must have spent all those years wondering."

We stepped back into The TARDIS and I grinned, bolting up to the console and pulling up the grating.

"Thing is, I don't think she ever quite forgot." The Doctor said, throwing his coat onto one of the pieces of coral. "Great mind like that, some of the details kept bleeding through. All the stuff her imagination could use. Like, Miss Marple!"

"I should have made her sign a contract." Donna sighed as The Doctor pulled up a box from under the grating.

"And, where is it, where is it, hold on…"

"Here we go. C..." I said, opening up the chest. "That is, C for Cybermen." I threw the Cyberman chest plate to the side, not even bothering to think back to the scarring memories of the Cybermen. "C for Carrionites." I had to smile at the globe containing the Carrionites as I moved it aside, I rather enjoyed our first trip with Martha. "And... Christie, Agatha!" I picked up the copy of Death in the Clouds with a giant wasp on the cover, handing to Donna. "Look at that."

"She did remember!" Donna gasped.

"Somewhere in the back of her mind, it all lingered." The Doctor smiled, putting his arm round my waist. "And that's not all. Look at the copyright page."

Donna opened the book with a grin, "Facsimile edition, published in the year… five billion?!"

"People never stop reading them. She is the best selling novelist, of all time."

"But she never knew."

"Well, no one knows how they're gonna be remembered. All we can do is hope for the best. Maybe that's what kept her writing. Same thing keeps me travelling. Onwards?"

"Onwards!"

...

"Doctor." The Doctor span round from the console and looked at me with a smile.

"It's late." He replied as he eyed my pyjamas, a pair of blue tracksuit bottoms and one of his jumpers from his previous incarnation.

"I need to do something."

The Doctor blinked, "Of course."

...

"Hello?" I called into the big, empty house. No answer, silence. Then again, it was often silent in Leadworth. I ran up the stairs of Amy's house and made my way into her room to find her, Rory and Mels sitting on her bed.

"Hello stranger." Mels said with a grin. I gave a sigh of relief, it was time for some quality time with my best friends, without time travel nonsense. Of course I never mentioned the universes biggest secret under my jumper.

**A/N - So there's a few things I wanted to clear up. When I said about Maria knowing the universes biggest secret outside of The TARDIS, that was her knowing that Flo was pregnant. And to all those who had worked out from the end of The Doctor's Daughter, yes Hero is Flo and The Doctor's unborn son, but they don't know who he is yet. Also, Luke being there in this chapter was because he was making sure she wasn't hurt by the Vespiform. And Oswald is of course Clara, but he didn't call her Clara in front of Flo because of spoilers! Hope everything is cleared up, PM me if you want anything else explained. :) Next up is River's episodes oh my god I am so excited eek! There will be references to Mels in it, but I am so excited! PLEASE REVIEW I LOVE YOU ALL! **


	13. Silence In The Library

"Books!" The Doctor grinned, putting on his coat on and opening the door of The TARDIS. "People never really stop loving books." The three of us stepped out of The TARDIS, arriving into a huge but empty reception. "51st century." He continued as I shut the door. "By now you've got holovids, direct to brain downloads, fiction mist, but you need the smell. The smell of books, Donna. Deep breath." We crossed the room and went through a room, headed down a staircase to see the surface: a huge city all filled with book shelves.

"It's been a long time since I've said this." I whispered. "But that _is _beautiful."

"The Library. So big it doesn't need a name. Just a great big the."

"It's like a city." Donna said amazement.

"It's a world. Literally a world. The whole core of the planet is the index computer, biggest hard drive ever. And up here, every book ever written. Whole continents of Jeffrey Archer, Bridget Jones, Monty Python's Big Red Book. Brand new editions, specially printed. We're near the equator, so..." He licked his finger and held it up to the sky. "This must be Biographies! I love biographies!

"Yeah, very you." I commented. "Always a death at the end."

"You need a good death. Without death, there'd only be comedies. Dying gives us size." Donna picked up a book in front of her curiously, only for The Doctor to snatch it from her. "Oi! Spoilers!

"What?" Donna frowned.

"These books are from your future. You don't wanna read ahead, spoil all the surprises. Like peeking at the end."

"Isn't travelling with you one big spoiler?"

"I... try to keep you away from major plot developments." The Doctor looked to me for an agreement, only for me to raise an eyebrow at him. "Which, to be honest, I seem to be very bad at, cos you know what? This is the biggest Library in the universe. So where is everyone? It's silent." I pushed past the two of them and walked up to an information terminal and began to press buttons on it.

"The Library?"

"The planet. The whole planet."

"Maybe it's a Sunday."

"No, he never land on Sundays." I said. "Sundays are boring. Apparently."

"Well... Maybe everyone's really, really quiet."

"Yeah, maybe." The Doctor said as the terminal screen flashed 0 results. "But they'd still show up on the system."

"Doctor, why are we here? Really, why?"

"Oh, you know, just passing."

"No, seriously. It was all, "let's hit the beach" then suddenly we're in a Library. Why?" Donna asked as The Doctor soniced the terminal.

"Now, that's interesting."

"What?"

"Scanning for life forms. If I do a scan looking for your basic humanoids - you know, your book readers, few limbs and a face - apart from us, I get nothing." He said as we looked at the screen that read there 3 were life forms. "Zippo, nada, see? Nobody home. But if I widen the parameters to any kind of life..." I pushed a few more keys and numbers ran on the screen until it stopped, "error; .000; lifeform number capped at maximum record." flashing across the screen.

"A million million." I muttered. "Gives up after that. A million million."

"But there's nothing here. There's no-one." Donna frowned, looking out across the surface.

"And not a sound." The Doctor said. "A million million life forms, and silence in the Library."

"But there's no-one here. There's just books. I mean, it's not the books, is it? I mean, it can't be the books, can it? I mean, books can't be alive?" They looked at each other cautiously and I rolled my eyes as they reached towards a group. Just before we were about to touch it, we heard a voice, making us jump. I span round looking back at the door that lead through to the reception, frowning. "That came from in there."

We followed The Doctor back into the reception and he approached a modern looking statue with a face mounted onto it's head.

"I am Courtesy Node 710/aqua." The Node said. "Please enjoy the Library and respect the personal access codes of all your fellow readers regardless of species or hygiene taboo."

"That face, it looks real." Donna said.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." The Doctor said.

"But a statue with a real face, though! It's a hologram or something, isn't it?"

"No, but really, it's... fine."

"Additional." The Node said. "There follows a brief message from the head librarian for your urgent attention. It has been edited for tone and content by Felman Lux Automated Decency Filter. Message follows. "Run. For God's sake, run. No way is safe. The Library has sealed itself, we can't... Oh, they're here. Arg. Slarg. Snick." Message ends. Please switch off your mobile comm units for the comfort of other readers."

The Doctor squeezed my hand as I frowned at the statue. "So that's why we're here..."

"Any other messages, same date stamp?" I asked.

"One additional message." The Node replied. "This message carries a Felman Lux coherency warning of 5, 0, 11..."

"Yeah, yeah, fine, fine, fine, just play it."

"Message follows. "Count the shadows. For God's sake, remember... if you want to live, count the shadows." Message ends."

"Donna..." The Doctor whispered.

"Yeah?" Donna replied nervously.

"Stay out of the shadows."

"Why, what's in the shadows?" We quickly made our way through another door, arriving in an aisle between bookshelves several floors high. "So... We weren't just in the neighbourhood."

"Yeah, I kind of, sort of lied a bit. I got a message on the psychic paper." He pulled out his psychic paper and showed a message that read 'The Library. Come as soon as you can. x' to me and Donna. "What do you think - cry for help?"

"Cry for help with a kiss?" Donna teased.

"Oh, we've all done that."

"Who's it from?"

"No idea."

"So why did we come here, why did you..."

I looked behind us to see the lights at the far end of the corridor go out one by one, heading towards us.

"Donna!"

Donna looked back in shock, "What's happening?"

"Run!" The Doctor grabbed my hand and we ran down the hallway and up to a door. "Come on!" The Doctor groaned, whacking the door, trying to open it.

"What, is it locked?"

"Jammed! The wood's warped!"

"Sonic it, use the thingy!"

"I can't, it's wood!"

"What, it doesn't do wood?!"

"Hang on, hang on, if I can vibrate the molecules, fry the bindings, I can shatterline the interface..."

"Oh, get out of the way!" I shouted and kicked the door open. We burst into the room and shut the door and The Doctor grabbed a book, bolting it closed with it. We gave a sigh of relief and looked round to see a floating gold metal ball with a camera in.

"Oh! Hello!" The Doctor said to it. "Sorry to burst on you like this. OK if we stop here for a bit?"

Suddenly the sphere dropped down, landing with a clatter on the floor.

"What is it?" Donna asked.

"Security camera. Switched itself off." He picked it up, examining it.

"Nice door skills, Donna." I said as The Doctor took his sonic out and soniced the camera.

"Yeah, well, you know, boyfriends... sometimes you need the element of surprise." Donna shrugged. "What was that, what was after us? I mean, did we just run away from a power cut?"

"Possibly." The Doctor said.

"Are we safe here?"

"Course we're safe. There's a little shop." He nodded over at a sign on the wall, pointing towards a shop.

"That was our first date." I laughed, thinking back to our trip to New Earth.

"Gotcha!" The Doctor cheered as the security camera's lens opened.

_No, stop it, no, no! _It read in red, robotic lettering across the screen.

"Doctor stop!" I gasped, pulling the sphere out of his hands and putting it on the floor. "It's alive."

"You said it was a security camera." Donna frowned.

"It is. It's an alive one."

_The Library has been breached, others are coming._ It read across the screen.

"Others? What does it mean, "others"?" Donna frowned before turning to a Node with a different face. "Excuse me, what does it mean, "others"?"

"That's barely more than a speak your weight machine, it can't help you." The Doctor muttered.

"So why's it got a face?"

"This flesh aspect was donated by Mark Chambers on the occasion of his death." The Node reported.

"It's a real face?!"

"It has been actualised individually for you from the many facial aspects saved to our extensive flesh banks. Please enjoy."

"It chose me a dead face it thought I'd like? That statue's got a face on it..."

"It's the 51st century, that's... basically like donating a park bench." I said.

"It's donating a face!" She stared at the Node in horror, backing away.

"No, wait, no!" I shouted, pulling her back by the waist.

"What was that for?"

"The shadow, look." The Doctor said, pointing at the shadow.

"What about it?"

"Count the shadows."

Donna frowned, looking at the shadow, "One. There, I counted it, one shadow."

"Yeah... But what's casting it?" We looked round with a frown, there was nothing there to cast the shadow. "Oh! I'm thick! Look at me, I'm old and thick! Head's too full of stuff, I need a bigger head!" We looked over towards a very dark corridor, with only the lamp blinking.

"Power must be going." Donna said.

"This place runs on fission cells. They'll outburn the sun." I whispered.

"Then why's it dark?"

"It's not dark." The Doctor said as Donna looked back round to see the shadow was gone.

"That shadow. It's gone."

"We need to get back to the TARDIS."

"Why?"

"Because that shadow hasn't gone. It's moved."

"Reminder: the Library has been breached, others are coming." The Node said. "Reminder: the Library has been breached, others are coming. Reminder: the Library has been breached..."

Suddenly, a door burst open and six people in spacesuits entered the room. Their leader walked straight towards The Doctor before turning on the light inside the helmet to reveal a female face, grinning at him as I stood back with Donna.

"Hello sweetie." The woman said to him.

"Get out." The Doctor said sternly.

"Doctor." Donna called over.

"All of you, turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away! Tell your grandchildren you came to The Library and lived. They won't believe you."

"Pop your helmets, everyone. We got breathers." The woman called back to her team before removing her helmet with the rest of the team apart from one, shaking her blonde curly hair in a ponytail.

"How do you know they're not androids?" A female voice called from inside one of the other spacesuits.

"'Cause I've dated androids. They're rubbish." The other woman nodded and took her helmet off.

"Who is this?" A stout, balding man asked. "You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives."

"I lied. I'm always lying." The blonde woman shrugged. "Bound to be others."

"Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts." The bald man snapped, making the young, vapid-looking brunette nod at him.

"You came through the north door, yeah? How was that, much damage?"

"Please, just leave." I begged, walking up to The Doctor and squeezing his hand.

"I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave-Hang on, did you say, "expedition"?" The Doctor asked.

"You're hair." The blonde woman laughed, looking at me in surprise. "That's so weird." I frowned at her.

"My expedition." The bald man interrupted. "I funded it."

"Oh, you're not, are you?" The Doctor groaned. "Tell me you're not archaeologists."

"Got a problem with archaeologists?" The blonde woman asked.

"I'm a time traveller. I point and laugh at archaeologists."

"Ah." The blonde woman said, trying not to laugh as she held out her hand to The Doctor. "Professor River Song, archaeologist."

I nearly gapsed out. River Song. It was her.

_**"Tell River Song," He spat the name with venom. "That Melody Malone was a success and that it was nice to see her in 1990 and 1993." He added sarcastically. **_

_**"Shame." He said bitterly with a smirk. "In the future, you're so much more sharper and quicker. Just one more thing. Tell River Song I love her." **_

_**Bolting towards me, Hero grabbed onto my arms and looked me in the eyes. **_

_**"You have to pass on his message to River Song, ok?" He said quickly. "PROMISE ME!"**_

"River Song, lovely name." The Doctor nodded, shaking her hand. "As you're leaving-and you're leaving now-you need to send up a quarantine beacon. Code-wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again. Not one living thing, not here, not ever!" I glanced over with a frown as I watched the woman who was unsure of taking of her hemlet began to wander into the light.

"Stop right there!" I called over. "What's your name?"

"Anita." She replied.

"Anita, stay out of the shadows." The Doctor said, pulling her out of the way. "Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship. Goes for all of you. Stay in the light! Find a nice bright spot and just stand. If you understand me, look very scared." They all stared at him, bemused. "No...a bit more scared than that. Okay, do for now." He sighed and made his way over to a man with black hair standing by the door. "Who are you?"

"Uh, Dave." He replied.

"Okay, Dave..."

"Well, Other Dave, because, uh...that's Proper Dave, the pilot." He pointed over at a black man. "He was the first Dave so when we-"

"Well, Other Dave, the way you came, does it look the same as before?"

"Yeah." Other Dave replied before looking down the hall. "Oh, it's a bit darker."

"How much darker?"

"Well, like I could see where we came through just a moment ago. I can't now."

"Seal up this door. We'll find another way out." He headed back into the centre of the room, looking over at me. "Who do we know with an emergency teleport?"

"Um..." I began. "Only person I can think of is Hero."

"Right ok, he's a good pair of hands. We'll get hold of him, get him to take you home-"

"Woah!" I interrupted. "I'm not going anywhere."

The Doctor gave me a stern look before looking back at River, "And he can help get this lot out."

River laughed, "I'd like to see him get me out."

"Do you know him?" I asked.

"You could say that, yeah."

"We're not looking for a way out." The bald man interrupted. "Miss Evangelista?"

Miss Evengelista hurried up to us. "I'm Mr Lux's personal...everything." She nodded over to the bald man. !You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experiences inside The Library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation."

"Right. Give it here." The Doctor said.

"Yeah." Donna agreed as the three of us took a contract each before ripping them in half in unison and throwing them to the floor.

"My family built this library, I have rights." Lux growled.

"You have a mouth that won't stop." River said. "You think there's danger here?"

"Something came to this library and killed everything in it." The Doctor said. "Killed a whole world. Danger? Could be."

"That was 100 years ago. The Library's been silent for 100 years. Whatever came here is long dead."

"Bet your life?"

River smirked, "Always."

I looked over their shoulder at Other Dave as he began to seal up the door with a drill, "What are you doing?" Lux asked.

"He said seal the door." Other Dave replied.

"Torch!" The Doctor cheered, snatching the torch from Lux.

"You're taking orders from him?" Lux asked.

"Spooky, isn't it?" The Doctor said, turning back and shining the torch into the shadows. "Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark. But they're wrong-'cause it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."

"What's Vashta Nerada?" Donna said.

"It's what's in the dark." I gulped as The Doctor looked over at me. "I read it in the TARDIS library. It's what's always in the dark."

"Lights! That's what we need-lights!" The Doctor said, before tossing the torch to Lux. "Ya got lights? Form a circle, safe area, big as you can, lights pointing out."

"Oi, do as he says." River said to Anita as The Doctor took off his jacket, throwing it on a desk only for River to roll her eyes and pick it up again and folding it before placing it down again.

"You're not listening to this man?" Lux exclaimed.

"Apparently, I am. Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door is secure then help Anita. Mr Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an archive terminal. I want you to access The Library database, see what you can find about what happened 100 years ago." River told her team and they set off to work before grabbing my hand and pulling me across the room. "You, Pretty Boy, you're with me. Step into my office." She pulled me over to a desk with a terminal as The Doctor kneeled down, head sideways on the floor as he watched the shadows. "So when was the last time you saw him? Hero, I mean."

"The Ood Sphere." I replied as River put her bag on the table.

"Professor Song, why am I the only one wearing my helmet?" Lux asked.

"I don't fancy you."

The Doctor jumped up and headed over to Proper Dave, "Probably I can help you." He said.

"Pretty Boy, with me I said!" River called over.

"Oh, I'm Pretty Boy?" The Doctor asked, pointing at himself.

"Yes." I giggled.

"Pretty?"

"Yes."

"Don't let your shadows cross!" The Doctor called as he made his way over to me and River. "Seriously, don't even let them touch! Any of them could be infected."

"How could a shadow be infected?" Other Dave asked.

"Excuse me, can I help?" Miss Evangelista asked.

"No, we're fine." Anita replied.

"I could, you know, just hold things."

"No, really, we're okay." Other Dave said. Miss Evangelista sighed and walked away as Donna walked up to them.

"Couldn't she help?" Donna asked.

"Trust me, I just spent four days on a ship with that woman. She's..."

"Couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod and the bathroom." Anita smirked. "We had to go back for her. Twice."

"Thanks." River said, turning mine and The Doctor's attention back to her.

"For what?" The Doctor asked.

"The usual. For coming when I call."

"That was you?"

"You're doing a very good job, acting like you don't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason." She said before picking up a rough, blue diary that looked like The TARDIS on the front.

"A fairly good one, actually." I muttered.

"Okay, shall we do diaries, then? Where are we this time? Going by your faces, I'd say it's early days for you, yeah?" She asked, looking at the both of us intently. "So, um... "Crash of the Byzantium", have we done that yet?" Me and The Doctor frowned. "Obviously ringing no bells." She began to flip through the diary again. "All right, um...oh..."picnic at Asgard". Have we done Asgard yet?" Me and The Doctor shared a glance before looking back at him. "Obviously not. Blimey, very early days, then. Huh, life with a time traveller-never knew it could be such hard work. Um..." She looked back up at The Doctor breathlessly. "Look at you. You're young."

"I'm really not, you know." The Doctor said.

"No, but you are." She said in shock, putting a hand on the side of his face. "Your eyes..." She looked between me and him. "You're younger than I've ever seen either of you.

"You've seen us before, then?"

"Doctor... please tell me you know who I am."

"Who are you?" River removed her hand from his face as a ringing sound filled the air. The Doctor stood up with a frown as I watched River reach inside her suit and pulled out a silver chain with a green key on with red lines over, making it look like... laser beams. I stared in shock, tears forming in my eyes, although River didn't notice, it was the same key as Mels'.

"Sorry, that was me." Proper Dave called over as I watched River place a quick kiss to the key before stuffing it back inside the suit. "Trying to get through into the security protocols. I seem to have set something off. What is that? Is that an alarm?"

"Doctor, Flo, that sounds like-" Donna began

"It is. It's a phone." I interrupted, listening to the dialing tone ring through the room.

"I'm trying to call up the data core but it's not responding, just that noise." Proper Dave called from the terminal. The Doctor crossed over to him as the rest of us followed.

"But it's a phone." Donna frowned.

"Let me try something." The Doctor muttered, swapping over with him at the terminal. The Doctor pressed a few buttons before 'ACCESS DENIED' popped up on the scream. "Okay, doesn't like that. Let's try something else." He pressed a few more buttons and the screen turned static. "Okay, here it comes." Suddenly, the image of a young girl with brown hair in her living room popped up. "Hello?"

"Hello." The girl replied in shock. "Are you in my television?"

"Well...no, I'm-I'm sort of in space. Um, I was trying to call up the data core triple-grid security processor."

"Would you like to speak to my dad?"

"Dad or your mum. That'd be lovely."

The girl hesitated, frowning, "I know you. You were in my library."

"Your library?"

"The Library's never been on television before. What have you done?"

"Um, well, um...I just...rerouted the interface-" Suddenly, the picture cut out, making The Doctor jerk back in annoyance.

"What happened?" River asked. "Who was that?"

The Doctor grumbled to himself, trying to reconnect before 'ACCESS DENIED.' flashed across the screen.

"Keep working on those lights! We need lights!" The Doctor called before running to the monitor on the desk next to me.

"You heard him, people. Let there be light." River called. The Doctor stared at the monitor as he worked when River's diary caught my eye, sitting next to me. I reached forward and picked it up, only for River to appear next to me, snatching it from my grasp. "Sorry. You're not allowed to see inside the book. It's against the rules."

"What rules?" I asked.

"Your rules." She said dryly before walking off. I sighed, shutting my eyes when something suddenly whacked me in the back of the head.

"Ssssshii-" I began, putting a hand to the back of my head as The Doctor rushed over to me.

"Are you ok?" He asked as I looked round to see books flying off the shelves and across the room. "What's that? I didn't do that. Did you do that?"

"Not me." Proper Dave called over.

_"Sure, don't ask if I'm ok." _The baby commented.

The Doctor looked up at the monitor with a frown as "CAL-Access Denied" flashed across it.

"What's "CAL"?" The Doctor asked.

Miss Evangelista whimpered as the rest of us watched the books in amazement before they eventually stopped and Donna made her way over to the scared woman.

"You all right?" Donna asked.

"What's that? What's happening?" Miss Evangelista asked.

"I don't know." Proper Dave said.

"Oh, thanks for offering to help with the lights." Donna said, smiling at the woman.

"They don't want me. They think I'm stupid 'cause I'm pretty." Miss Evangelista said sadly.

"Course they don't. Nobody thinks that."

"No, they're right, though. I'm a moron, me. My dad said I had the IQ of plankton and I was pleased."

Donna laughed, "See? That's funny."

"N-no. I-I really was pleased. Is that funny?"

"No. No."

More books began to clatter, making River frown, "What's causing that? Is it the little girl?"

"Well, who is the little girl?" I asked. "What's she got to do with this place?"

"How does the data core work?" The Doctor asked, hopping up and sitting on the desk. "What's the principle? What's CAL?"

"Ask Mr Lux." River said.

"CAL. What is it?"

"I'm sorry." Lux said. "You didn't sign your personal experience contracts."

The Doctor jumped down from the desk stepping forward slightly, "Mr Lux, right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life. And you're protecting a patent?"

"I'm protecting my family's pride."

"Funny thing, Mr Lux, I don't wanna see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important." I laughed sarcastically.

"Then why didn't you sign his contract?" River asked, looking over at me. "I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you."

"Okay, okay, okay. Let's start it again." The Doctor said. "What happened here? On the actual day 100 years ago, what physically happened?"

"There was a message from The Library." River said, leaning against the desk next to me. "Just one. "The lights are going out." Then the computer sealed the planet, and there was nothing for 100 years."

"It's taken three generations of my family just to decode the seals and get back here." Lux said.

"Um, excuse me." Miss Evangelista called over feebly.

"Not just now."

"There was one other thing in the last message." River said, walking out across the room.

"That's confidential."

"I trust this man with my life...with everything."

"You've only just met him."

"Nope. He's only just met me."

"And me?" I asked sharply. "Do you trust me?"

River looked back at me sadly, "You told me to never promise me. One thing you also need to know is that me and you, _never _listen to each other." She pulled her PDA out of her bag and loaded it up, showing it to me and The Doctor. "4022 saved. No survivors." She read. "4022-that's the exact number of people who were in the library when the planet was sealed."

"But how can 4022 people be saved if there were no survivors?" Donna asked.

"That's what we're here to find out."

"So far what we haven't found are any bodies." Lux said.

Suddenly, a scream echoed through and we looked over to see an open panel in the wall. The Doctor grabbed my hand and we ran through with the others following.

We bolted into the Library lecture room to find a skeleton in the chair, stripped of its flesh.

"Everybody careful. Stay in the light." The Doctor said.

"You keep saying that. I don't see the point." Proper Dave said.

"Who screamed?"

"Miss Evangelista."

"Where is she?"

River pressed her comm on the suit. "Miss Evangelista, please state your current-" She stopped abruptly, hearing the echo.

The Doctor pointed the torch at the suit on the skeleton as River walked towards it, "Please state your current..." She kneeled down in front of it. "Position." She pulled at the broken collar to reveal the green lights of the comm. "It's her, It's Miss Evangelista."

"We heard her scream a few seconds ago." Anita said. "What could do that to a person in a few seconds?"

"It took less than a few seconds." The Doctor said.

"What did?"

"Hello?" Miss Evangelista's voice came through the comm.

"I'm sorry, everyone. This isn't going to be pleasant." River said, walking back and putting her arm around my shoulder blades, squeezing my arm. "She's ghosting." She looked at me sadly. "You're especially not going to."

"She's what?" Donna asked.

"Hello?" Miss Evangelista repeated through the comm. "Excuse me. I-I'm sorry, hello? Excuse me."

"That's-that's her. That's Miss Evangelista."

"I don't wanna sound horrible, but couldn't we just...you know-" Proper Dave said.

"This is her last moment...no we can't." River interrupted. "A little respect, thank you."

"Sorry, where am I?" Miss Evangelista asked. "Excuse me."

"But that's Miss Evangelista." Donna said.

"It's a data ghost." River said. "She'll be gone in a moment." She pressed her comm, "Miss Evangelista, you're fine. Just relax; we'll be with you presently."

"What's a data ghost?" I asked The Doctor.

"There's a neural relay in the communicator, let's you send thought mail." The Doctor began, squeezing my hand. "That's it there, those green lights. Sometimes it can hold an impression of a living consciousness for a short time after death. Like an after-image."

"My father lasted a day." Anita said sadly. "Kept talking about his shoelaces."

"She's in there." Donna gasped.

"I can't see." Miss Evangelista sobbed. "I can't...Where am I?"

"She's just brainwaves now. Pattern won't hold for long." Proper Dave said.

"She's conscious. She's thinking." I gasped as River squeezed my arm a little tighter.

"I can't see." Miss Evangelista said. "I can't...I don't know what I'm thinking."

"She's a footprint on the beach and the tide's coming in." The Doctor said sadly.

"Where's that woman? The nice woman...is she there?"

"What woman?" Lux asked.

"She means...I think, she means me." Donna gulped.

"Is she there?" Miss Evangelista asked.

"Yes, she's here. Hang on." River said into her comm before pressing it again onto speaker. "Go ahead. She can hear you."

"Hello, are you there?"

Donna gasped and shook her head.

"Help her." The Doctor whispered.

"She's dead." The Doctor said.

"Yeah, help her."

"Hello? Is that the nice woman?" Miss Evangelista asked.

"Yeah. Hello. Yeah, I'm-I'm here." Donna said nervously. "You okay?"

"What I said before, about being stupid, don't tell the others. They'll only laugh."

"'Course I won't. 'Course I won't tell them."

"Don't tell the others. They'll only laugh."

"I won't tell them. I said I won't."

"Don't tell the others. They'll only laugh."

"I'm not going to tell them."

The lights on Miss Evangelista's neural relay began to flash, "Don't tell the others. They'll only laugh."

"She's looping now. The pattern's degrading." River said sadly.

"I can't think. I...don't know...I...I...I...Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream." She began to repear herself...

"Does anybody mind if I..." River stepped forward and snapped off the the comm.

"That was...that was horrible." I gasped. "That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen. It has been so many years since anything has scared me whilst travelling with you, Doctor."

"No...just a freak of technology." River said before pocketing the comm. "But whatever did this to her, whatever killed her, I'd like a word with that."

"I'll introduce you." The Doctor said, letting go of me and walking out of the room.

"But imagine if that was your mother or something." I said to River as we all followed after The Doctor. "And you can't touch them, you can't attack them, all you can do is scream at them."

"I screamed at my mother's murderer." River said casually as we walked back into the room we were in before.

"Did you?" The Doctor called over his shoulder as he shined the torch about the room.

"Yeah, you were both there."

"I'm gonna need a packed lunch."

"Hang on." River said, kneeling down and opening up her bag.

"What's in that book?" The Doctor asked, kneeling down next to her.

"Spoilers."

"Who are you?"

"Professor River Song, University of-"

"To us. Who are you to me and Flo?

"Again...spoilers." She quickly pulled out a metal box, handing it to The Doctor. "Chicken and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."

"Right, you lot!" The Doctor said, taking the box from her. "Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada."

The Doctor got down on his knees, sonicing under the table at the shadows as River, Donna and I watched from afar. I glanced over at River as she watched him, love in her eyes. And that worried me.

"You travel with him, don't you?" River asked Donna. "The Doctor-you travel with him."

"What of it?" Donna asked.

"You know him, don't you?" I asked.

"Oh, God, do I know that man." River laughed. "We go way back, that man and me...just not this far back."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You haven't met me yet." River said, looking at me. "I sent you a message but it went wrong. It arrived too early. This is you and the Doctor in the days before you knew me. And you both look at me... and _he_ looks right through me and you don't know what to say or do to me, and it shouldn't kill me, but it does."

"What are you talking about?" Donna snapped. "Are you talking rubbish? Do you know him or don't you?"

"Donna!" The Doctor called over. "Quiet, I'm working."

"Sorry."

River's gaze snapped round to Donna, her jaw dropping. "Donna. You're Donna, Donna Noble."

"Yeah. Why?"

"I do know the Doctor, but in the future-his personal future."

"So why don't you know her?" I asked, grabbing Donna's hand.

"Where am I in the future?" Donna asked.

"Okay, got a live one!" The Doctor called out, getting up and facing us. "That's not darkness down those corridors. This..." He pointed back at the shadow. "Is not a shadow. It's a swarm..." He picked up the meal box. "A man-eating swarm." He picked out a chicken leg and threw it at the shadow, only for it to be stripped of it's flesh before it even hit the floor. "They're piranhas of they air. The Vashta Nerada-literally "the shadows that melt the flesh." Most planets will have them but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale-or as aggressive."

"What do you mean, "most planets"?" Donna asked. "Not Earth."

"Mmm, Earth and a billion other worlds. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes if you look. Dust in sunbeams."

"If they were on Earth, we'd know."

"Nah. Normally they live on road kill. But sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark."

"Every shadow?" River asked nervously.

"No, but any shadow."

"So what do we do?"

"Daleks, aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans, back of the neck." I laughed nervously.

"Vashta Nerada...run." The Doctor breathed. "Just run."

"Run? Run where?" River asked.

"This is an index point. There must be an exit teleport somewhere."

"Don't look at me." Lux said. "I haven't memorized the schematics."

"Doctor, the little shop." Donna said. "They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff."

The Doctor bolted over to the door of the shop and peered inside, "You're right. Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop."

"Okay, let's move it." Proper Dave said.

"Actually, Proper Dave, can you stay where you are for a moment?" The Doctor said, looking back at him.

"Why?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." I whispered, looking over to see one shadow behind Proper Dave and one at his side. "But you've got two shadows."

"It's how they hunt." The Doctor said. "They latch onto a food source and keep it fresh."

"What do I do?" Proper Dave asked.

"You stay absolutely still, like there's a wasp in the room. Like there's a million wasps.

"We're not leaving you, Dave." River said.

"'Course we're not leaving you. Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."

"On the floor by my bag."

Anita moved to grab it, "Don't cross his shadow!" The Doctor shouted before she handed the helmet to him. "Thanks. Now, the rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up." He put the helmet on from Proper Dave. "We'll need everything we've got."

"But Doctor, we've haven't got any helmets." Donna called over.

"Yeah, but we're safe anyway."

"How are we safe?"

"We're not." I said. "That was just a clever lie to shut you up."

"Professor, anything I can do with this suit?" The Doctor asked.

"What good are the damn suits?" Lux asked nervously. "Miss Evangelista was wearing a suit. There was nothing left."

"We can increase the mesh density." River said. "Dial it up to 400%. Make it a tougher meal."

The Doctor quickly soniced Proper Dave's suit before holding it out to River, "800%. Pass it on."

"Gotcha!" River grinned, holding up another sonic like The Doctor's, but with extra settings.

"What's that?" I asked, frowning at the second sonic screwdriver.

"It's a screwdriver."

"It's sonic." The Doctor said.

"Yeah, I know. Snap!" She gave him one last grin before sonicing the other suits.

"With me!" The Doctor said, grabbing mine and Donna's hands. "Come on!" And he quickly pulled us into the shop.

"What are we doing? We shopping? Is it a good time to shop?"

"No talking, just moving." The Doctor said, pushing us onto two black circles by the till. "Try it. Right. Stand there in the middle. It's a teleport." He said as he began to work the controls. "Can't send the others, the TARDIS won't recognize them."

"What're you doing?"

"You don't have a suit, you're not safe!"

"You don't have a suit, so you're in as much danger as I am and I'm not leaving you!"

"Donna! Let me explain..." He pressed a button and at the same time I jumped forward, just missing it in time. "NO!" He shouted at me, walking round and grabbing my arm. "YOU ARE NOT STAYING HERE."

"AND I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!"

"YOU'RE PREGNANT!"

"I DON'T CARE."

He stared at me, angrily before storming back into the other room with me following. "I BLOODY HATE YOU SOMETIMES!" He called over his shoulder.

"AND I HATE YOU TOO."

River looked up at us, raising an eyebrow. "Nothing changes." She muttered as The Doctor looked over at Proper Dave, now only with one shadow.

"Where did it go?" The Doctor asked.

"It's just gone." Proper Dave said. "I looked 'round, one shadow. See?"

"Does this mean we can leave?" River asked. "I don't want to hang around here."

"I don't know why we're still here." Lux said. "We can leave him, can't we? I mean, no offence..."

"Shut up, Mr Lux." River and Flo snapped in unison, making The Doctor raise an eyebrow at them.

"Did you feel anything, like an energy transfer?" The Doctor asked, looking back to Proper Dave. "Anything at all?"

"No. No, but look, i-it's gone." Proper Dave said, beginningto turn.

"Stop there. Stop, stop, stop there. Stop moving!" And so Proper Dave, quickly stopped. "They're never just gone, and they never give up." He quickly got down on his kness and befgan to sonic into the shadows. "Well, this one's benign."

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

"No one, they're fine." The Doctor said, looking up at him.

"No, seriously, turn them back on."

"They are on." River said.

"I can't see a ruddy thing."

The Doctor stood up, "Dave, turn around." He said.

Proper Dave began to turn, "What's going on? Why can't I see? Is the power gone? Are we safe here?"

"Dave, I want you to stay still, absolutely still." He suddenly stiffened. "Dave-Dave? Dave, can you hear me? You all right? Talk to me, Dave."

"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm-I'm fine."

"I want you to stay still, absolutely still."

"I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm-I'm fine. I can't... Why can't I? I-I can't... Why can't I? I-I can't... Why can't I? I..." The lights on his communicator began to blink.

"He's gone. He's ghosting." River said sadly.

"Then why is he still standing?" Lux asked.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave asked. "Hey, who turned out the lights?"

The Doctor began to move closer to him.

"Doctor, don't." River called over.

"Dave, can you hear me?" The Doctor asked.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave asked before his hands went flying out, choking The Doctor and forcing him to his knees before a skeleton head was made clear through the helmet. "Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?"

"Excuse me!" River shouted, sticking her sonic into the port on Proper Dave's suit, making the skeleton let go of the Time Lord.

"Back from it!" The Doctor called, scurrying away. "Get back, right back!"

Proper Dave began to stumble towards us as me and River pulled The Doctor up.

"Doesn't move very fast, does it?" River asked.

"It's a swarm in a suit. But it's learning."

Suddenly, four shadows sprouted from the suit.

"What do we do? What do we do?" Lux panicked.

"See that wall behind you?" River asked, making me look back at the wall. "Duck!" I quickly ducked and she pulled out a sonic blaster, shooting at the door and creating a massive gap in the wall.

"Squareness gun!" The Doctor cheered.

"Everybody out! Go, go, go! Move it! Move, move! Move it! Move, move!" River moved, grabbing my arm and pulling me through the hole in the wall with everyone running after us. "You said not every shadow-"

"But any shadow." The Doctor said as Proper Dave arrived at the opening.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave asked.

"Run!" River shouted, grabbing both mine and The Doctor's hands and pulling us down the narrow aisle between the shelves.

We all began to catch our breath as The Doctor began to use the sonic on an overhead lamp.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"Trying to boost the power." He replied. "Light doesn't stop them, but it slows them down."

"So what's the plan? Do we have a plan?" River asked as she pointed her sonic at the light, making it brighter.

"Your screwdriver..." The Doctor said, pulling his arm back down and looking at her. "Looks exactly like mine."

"Yeah. You gave it to me." River shrugged.

"I don't give my screwdriver to anyone."

"I'm not anyone."

"Who are you?"

"What's the plan?"

"I teleported Donna back to the TARDIS. If we don't get back there in under five hours, Emergency Programme One will activate."

"Take her home, yeah." She shrugged. "We need to get a shift on!" She called back to the others.

The Doctor frowned at his sonic, "She's not there. I should have received a signal. The console signals me if there's a teleport breach."

"Maybe the coordinates have slipped. The equipment here is ancient."

I looked round to see a Node, turned away from us before bolting up to it. "Donna Noble." I said to it. "There's a Donna Noble somewhere in this library. Do you have the software to locate her?"

Slowly, it swiveled round to show Donna's face on it. "Donna Noble has left The Library. Donna Noble has been saved." It reported.

Tears formed in my eyes as The Doctor walked slowly to it. "Donna." He said in shock.

"Donna Noble has left The Library. Donna Noble has been saved."

"How can it be Donna? How is that possible?" River asked.

"Donna Noble has left The Library. Donna Noble has been saved."

"Oh, Donna." I whispered.

"Donna Noble has left The Library."

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave called from the end of the corridor. It had seemed he had found us.

"Doctor, Flo!" River called nervously as the Node kept repeating itself.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

"Doctor, Flo, we've got to go now!" She grabbed our arms and pulled us along.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

Both Proper Dave and The Node kept repeating themselves before we got caught in a dead end.

I looked back in fear, "Doctor, what are we going to do?" River asked, pulling me into a hug. Clearly she noticed I was scared. Funny really, me, _scared_. I hadn't been scared of something whilst travelling with The Doctor in years. And River seemed to sense when I was scared. And that, really, scared me more than anything.


	14. Forest Of The Dead

River turned, using the squareness gun on the wall. "This way! Quickly Move!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me through the wall.

...

"Okay, we've got a clear spot!" River shouted as we ran into another one of the reading rooms. "In, in, in!" The Doctor bolted across the room and immediately began to check for shadows. "Right in the centre, in the middle of the light, quickly! Don't let your shadows cross. Doctor!"

"I'm doing it." The Doctor called over.

"There's no lights here. Sunset's coming. We can't stay long. Have you found a live one?"

"Maybe. It's getting harder to tell." He muttered, whacking the sonic. "What's wrong with you?"

"We're gonna need a chicken leg. Who's got a chicken leg?" Other Dave quickly handed River one. "Thanks, Dave." She threw it into the shadowm only for it to be stripped of its flesh immediately. "Okay, we got a hot one. Watch your feet."

"They won't attack until there's enough of them. But they've got our scent now. They're coming."

The Doctor began to check the shadows and I glanced from afar, watching River and the other members of the expedition talk behind us.

"Who is he?" Other Dave asked. "You haven't even told us. You just expect us to trust him."

"He's the Doctor." River replied as I made my way towards them.

"And who is "the Doctor"?" Lux asked.

"The only story you'll ever tell-if you survive him." River and I said in unison. I blinked, looking at her in shock before walking back over to The Doctor.

"Are you ok?" The Doctor muttered to me as he continued sonicing.

"Scared." I laughed nervously as River popped up next to us.

"What's wrong with it?" River asked, gesturing to the sonic.

"There's a signal coming from somewhere interfering with it." The Doctor frowned.

"Use the red settings." River shrugged.

"It doesn't have a red setting."

"Well, use the dampers."

"It doesn't have dampers."

"It will do one day." She said, holding up her sonic.

The Doctor snatched it from her and stood up, "So, some time in the future, I just give you my screwdriver?"

"Yeah."

"Why would I do that?"

"I didn't pluck it from your cold, dead hands if that's what you're worried about." River smirked.

"And I know that because..."

"Listen to me. We've lost Donna, you're angry. I understand. But you need to be less emotional, Doctor, right now." I snapped.

"Less emo-I'm not emotional!"

"There are five people in this room still alive." River and I said once again in unison, making both me and The Doctor stare at her, wide eyed.

"Focus on that." River finished. "Dear God, you're hard work young."

"Young?" The Doctor snapped. "Who are you?!"

"For Heaven's sake!" Lux snapped, standing up and looking at me and The Doctor. "Look at the pair of you! We're all gonna die right here, and you're just squabbling like an old married couple." Me and The Doctor looked at each other in shock.

"_Married_." River laughed, making us look at her, before she immediately sobered and looked at The Doctor. "Doctor... One day I'm going to be someone you trust completely. But I can't wait for you to find that out. So I'm going to prove it to you. And I'm sorry. I'm really...very sorry." River reached up and whispered in his ear. When she pulled back, The Doctor stared at her in shock before grabbing my arm and pulling me towards him. "Are we good? Doctor...are we good?"

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, we're good."

"Good." She nodded, taking the sonic and walking off.

"What did she say?" I whispered.

"My name." The Doctor gulped.

"She knows your name?" I asked. He looked down at me guiltily.

"Know what's interesting about my screwdriver?" He asked, walking off. "Very hard to interfere with, practically nothing strong enough... Well, maybe some hairdryers, but I'm working on that. So, there is a very strong signal coming from somewhere, and it wasn't there before, so what's new, what's changed? Come on, what's new?! What's different?!"

"I dunno." Other Dave shrugged. "Nothing. It's getting dark."

"It's a screwdriver. It works in the dark." The Doctor looked up at the planet's sky at the artificial moon. "Moonrise. Tell me about the moon. What's there?" He asked Lux.

"It's not real." Lux said. "It was built as part of The Library. It's just a doctor moon."

"What's a doctor moon?"

"A virus checker. It supports and maintains the main computer at the core of the planet."

The Doctor began to sonic up at the moon, "Well, it's still active-it's signalling, look. Someone somewhere in this library is alive and communicating with the moon. Or possibly alive and drying their hair. No, the signal is definitely coming from the moon. I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through-"

"Doctor." River said, nodding as a projection of Donna appeared.

"Donna!" The Doctor cheered before the projection suddenly disappeared.

"That was her. That was your friend. Can you get her back? What was that?"

"Hold on, hold on, hold on. I'm trying to find the wavelength. Argh! I'm being blocked!"

"Professor..." Anita called over.

"Just a moment." River replied.

"It's important. I have two shadows."

I looked round in shock, grabbing The Doctor's arm as looked over at Anita.

"Helmets on, everyone. Anita, I'll get yours."

"Didn't do Proper Dave any good."

"Just keep it together, okay?"

"I'm keeping it together. I'm only crying. I'm about to die. It's not an overreaction."

River walked over and grabbed Anita's helmet, putting it on her before The Doctor turned to face her.

"Hang on." The Doctor said before sonicing the helmet and blocking the visor.

"Oh, God, they've got inside." River gasped.

"No, no-I just tinted her visor. Maybe they'll think they're already is there and leave her alone."

"You think they could be fooled like that?"

"Maybe. I don't know. It's a swarm-it's not like we chat."

"Can you still see in there?" Other Dave asked.

"Just about." Anita muttered.

"Just-just-just stay back." The Doctor said. "Professor, quick word, please."

"What?" River asked.

The Doctor squatted down, "Down here."

"What is it?" River asked, squatting down beside him.

"You said there are five people still alive in this room."

"Yeah, so?"

"So..." I began before The Doctor could say anything. "Why are there six?" And there, in the opening, stood what was Proper Dave.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave asked.

"Run!" The Doctor shouted, jumping up and grabbing my hand, pulling me out of the room.

...

"Professor, go ahead." The Doctor said to River as we ran down the hallway. "Fine a safe spot."

"It's a carnivorous swarm in a suit! You can't reason with it." River and I snapped in unison, making me stare at the woman.

"Five minutes!" The Doctor called back. "Keep Flo safe!"

"She's pregnant, I'll protect her with my life!"

"How did you know that?!"

"Spoilers."

"Other Dave, stay with him." I said to Other Dave as River began to pull me away. "Pull him out when he's too stupid to live. Two minutes, Doctor!"

...

"You know...it's funny," River said, sonicing at the shadows. "I keep wishing the Doctor was here."

"The Doctor is here, isn't he?" Anita asked. "I mean, he's coming back, right?"

"You know when you see a photograph of someone you know but it's from years before you met them, and it's like they're not quite...finished, they're-they're not quite done yet? Well...yes, the Doctor's here." She turned round and looked at me. "And you, yes. You came when I called just like you always does. But not my Doctor and Flo. Now, my Doctor and Flo... I've seen whole armies turn and run away, and you'd just swagger off back to your TARDIS and open the doors with a snap of your fingers. The Doctor and Flo...in the TARDIS-next stop: everywhere." She smiled tearily in me.

"Spoilers!" I looked round to see The Doctor appearing from the other side of the room. "Nobody can open a TARDIS by snapping their fingers. Doesn't work like that."

"It does for the Doctor." River said sternly, looking back at him.

"I am the Doctor."

"Yeah. Some day."

The Doctor glared at her before walking up to Anita, "How are you doing?"

"Where's Other Dave?"

"Not coming. Sorry."

"Well, if they've taken him, why haven't they gotten me yet?" Anita asked nervously.

"I don't know." The Doctor said, looking down at the two shadows. "Maybe tinting the visor's making a difference."

"It's making a difference all right. No one's ever gonna see my face again."

"Can I get you anything?"

"An old age would be nice. Anything you can do."

"I'm all over it."

"Doctor-When we first met you, you didn't trust Professor Song. And then she whispered a word in your ear and you did. My life so far, I could do with a word like that. What did she say?" The Doctor stared at her sadly and the woman chuckled. "Give a dead girl a break. Your secrets are safe with me."

"Safe." I shouted, spinning around with my arms in the air, making River and The Doctor. "Safe. You don't say, "saved". Nobody says, "saved", you say, "safe". The data fragment-what did it say?"

"4022 people saved. No survivors." Lux said.

"Flo?" River frowned.

"Nobody says saved, nutters say saved, you say safe." The Doctor exclaimed, looking over at me in realization. "It didn't mean safe. It literally meant...saved!" The Doctor bolted over to a terminal, pressing at the buttons. "See?" He called over. "There it is! Right there! A hundred years ago, massive power surge, all the teleports going at once. Soon as the Vashta Nerada hit their hatching cycle, they attack. Someone hits the alarm, the computer tries to teleport everyone out."

"It tried to teleport 4022 people?" River asked.

"Succeeded." The Doctor nodded. "Pulled 'em all out. But then what? Nowhere to send them. Nowhere safe in the whole library with Vashta Nerada growing in every shadow. 4022 people, all beamed up and nowhere to go. They're stuck in the system, waiting to be sent-like emails. So what's a computer to do? What does a computer always do?"

"It saved them." River nodded as The Doctor ran over to a table, pushing the books out of the way and began to draw on a surface.

"The Library." He said, drawing a circle on the table with a smaller one inside. "Whole world of books. And right at the core, the biggest hard drive in history. The index to everything ever written. Backup copies of every single book. The computer saved 4022 people the only way a computer can. It saved them...to the hard drive." He drew an arrow to the middle circle before looking over at me.

Suddenly, an alarm bared through.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Lux asked.

"Auto-destruct enabled in twenty minutes." The Computer announced as The Doctor and River bolted over to one of the terminals.

"What's maximum erasure?" River asked.

"Twenty minutes, this planet's gonna crack like an egg." The Doctor said.

"No. No, it's all right." Lux said. "The doctor moon'll stop it. It's designed to protect CAL."

Suddenly, the terminal shut down, making The Doctor shout at it loudly. "No, no. No, no, no, no!" He shouted, climbing onto the desk and using the sonic on the top of terminal.

"All Library systems are permanently offline." The Computer announced. "Sorry for any inconvenience."

"We need to stop this." Lux insisted. "We've gotta save CAL."

"What is it? What is CAL?" The Doctor asked.

"We need to get to the main computer. I'll show you."

"It's at the core of the planet."

"Well then... Let's go!" River said before aiming her sonic at the seal in the middle of the floor, making in open and show a big beam of light. "Gravity platform."

"I bet we like you." I grinned.

"Oh, you do."

...

"The data core." The Doctor said, looking up at the date core. "Over 4000 living minds trapped inside it."

"They won't be living much longer." River commented. "We're running out of time."

The five of us stepped off of the gravity beam and The Doctor ran over to a terminal.

"Help me. Please, help me." The Girl's voice called.

"What's that?" Anita asked.

"Was that a child?" River frowned.

"The computer's in sleep mode." The Doctor said, tapping on the keyboard of the terminal. "I can't wake it up. I'm trying."

"Doctor, these readings." River frowned, looking over his shoulder at the screen.

"I know. You'd think it was...dreaming."

"It is dreaming-of a normal life, and a lovely dad, and of every book ever written." Lux said.

"Computers don't dream." Anita said.

"Help me. Please, help me." The Girl cried.

"No, but little girls do." Lux said sadly before pulling on a lever and leading us into another room. In the middle was a Node connected up to the main frame with a little girl's face on.

"Help me. Please, help me. Help me. Please, help me."

"Oh, my God." River gasped.

"It's the little girl." Anita gasped. "The girl we saw on the computer."

"She's not in the computer." Lux said sadly. "In a way, she is the computer. The main command node. This is CAL."

"CAL is a child!" I shouted. "A child hooked up to a mainframe! Why didn't you tell us this? We needed to know this!"

"Because she's family!" Lux screamed. "CAL - Charlotte Abigail Lux. My grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying, so he built her a library and put her living mind inside, with a moon to watch over her, and all of human history to pass the time, any era to live in, any book to read. She loved books more than anything. And he gave her them all. He asked only that she be left in peace. A secret, not a freak show.

"A child, on her own. For _years_."

"So you weren't protecting a patent, you were protecting her." The Doctor whispered.

"This is only half a life, of course..." Lux gulped, stroking her face. "But it's forever."

"And then the shadows came."

"The shadows." Cal said feebly. "I have to...I have to save. Have to save."

"And she saved them." The Doctor sighed. "She saved everyone in The Library. Folded them into her dreams and kept them safe."

"Then why didn't she tell us?" Anita asked.

"Because she's forgotten. She's got over 4000 living minds chatting away inside her head. It must be like...being, well, me."

"So what do we do?" River asked.

"Auto-destruct in ten-" The computer began.

"Easy!" The Doctor cheered, running back to the terminal. "We beam all the people out of the data core, the computer will reset and stop the countdown. Difficult. Charlotte doesn't have enough memory space left to make the transfer." He babbled as he bolted over to a bank of wires. "Easy! I'll hook myself up to the computer, and she can borrow my memory space!"

"Difficult." River said. "It'll kill you stone dead!"

"Yeah, it's easy to criticize."

"It'll burn up both your hearts and don't think you'll regenerate!" I laughed.

"I'll try my hardest not to die. Honestly, it's my main thing."

"Doctor!" River shouted.

"If I'm right, this'll work. Shut up! Now, listen, you and Luxy Boy, back up to the main library. Prime any data cells you can find for maximum download. And before you say anything else, Professor, and my beautiful amazing girlfriend, can I just mention, as you're both here, shut up."

"Oh! I hate you sometimes!" River and I shouted in unison before River grabbed my arm and pulled me off.

"I know!" He shouted over his shoulder.

"Mr Lux, with me." River called over. "Anita, if he dies...I'll kill him!" And so she pulled me off.

"Who are you?" I hissed.

"Professor River Song, University-"

"To _me_, River."

"I-" River began when a sudden thump echoed through from the room we'd just left. The two of us shared a look before running back in to see Anita's suit laying on the floor. "Anita!" River gasped, kneeling down next to it.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor called over from the terminal. "She's been dead a while now. I told you to go!"

"Lux can manage without me...but you can't." I jumped out of the way as River got up and punched The Doctor, sending him flying to the floor, unconscious before pulling a small vial out of her pocket and jabbing it into my arm.

...

"I'm sorry." I heard River's voice as my eyes opened. I glanced up at her, sitting in a chair, connecting wires. "I couldn't hit you, you're pregnant.

"Auto-destruct in two minutes." The Computer announced. I jerked forward, only to be pulled back by a pair of handcuffs connecting me and The Doctor, who was still out cold, next to me.

"That key." I gasped out, making River look over at me guiltily. "Melody. Mels. She's my best friend. And she was given that key. By Amy. You know her don't you?" River just stared back at me. "Amelia Pond. Cause one day this man," I pointed down at The Doctor. "Is going to crash into her garden. He will crash in Leadworth, and you're connected to him, and that's the connection to Amy." I gasped out, tears rolling down my face. "Did you kill her? Did you murder Mels? Did you kill my best friend...?"

River opened her mouth to speak when The Doctor suddenly jolted forward, waking up.

"Oh, no, no, no!" He shouted. "What are you doing? That's my job."

"What, I'm not allowed to have a career, I suppose?" River asked.

"Why am I handcu-Why do you even have handcuffs?"

River smirked, "Spoilers."

"This is not a joke." He snapped. "Stop this now. This is gonna kill you! I'll have a chance, you don't have any!"

"You wouldn't have a chance and neither do I!" River shouted at him. "I'm timing it for the end of the countdown. There'll be a blip in the command flow. That way it should improve our chances of a clean download."

"River, please, no!"

"Funny thing is, this means you've always known how I was going to die." She laughed sadly, tears forming in her eyes, looking between the both of us. "All the time we've been together, you knew I was coming here. The last time I saw you -the real you two, the future you two, I mean- you turned up on my doorstep with a new haircut and a suit, Doctor and beautiful dress, Flo. You took me to Darillium to see the Singing Towers. Oh, what a night that was. The towers sang...and you cried. Both of you."

"Auto-destruct in one minute." The computer announced.

"You wouldn't tell me why, but I suppose you knew it was time-my time, time to come to The Library. You even gave me your sonic screwdriver-that should have been a clue." I looked across the floor, seeing both screwdrivers sitting on River's diary, just out of our reach. "There's nothing you can do."

"Let me do this!" The Doctor shouted, trying to grab the sonics.

"If you die here, it'll mean I've never met you."

"Time can be rewritten!"

"Not those times. Not one line. Don't you dare." She shouted. "It's okay. It's okay, it's not over for you. You'll see me again. You've got all of that to come. You and me, time and space. You watch us run. And your _son_. Oh he's beautiful, he's brilliant."

"River, you know my name." The Doctor gulped.

"Auto-destruct in 10..." The computer called out.

"You whispered my name in my ear."

"...9, 8, 7, 6..." River placed a circlet on her head, watching us tearily.

"There's only one reason I would ever tell anyone my name-"

"...5..."

"There's only one time I could..."

"...4..."

"Hush, now." River whispered.

"...3, 2..."

"Spoilers."

"...1"

River connected the cables in her hands, staring at us tearily as a blinding light filled the room.

...

And she done it. That mad, impossible, bloody River Song. She saved 4,026 lives. 4,022 people on the hard drive and the other 4 being me, The Doctor, Donna and the baby.

"Any luck?" The Doctor asked as Donna returned, leaning against the wall in between me and The Doctor.

"Wasn't even anyone called Lee in The Library that day." Donna sighed. "Suppose he could have had a different name out here, but let's be honest, he wasn't real, was he?"

"Maybe not."

"I made up the perfect man-gorgeous, adores me, and hardly ever speaks a word. What's that say about me?"

"Everything." The Doctor said absently. Donna looked over at him, offended and I reached over, whacking him in the arm. "Sorry, did I say "everything"? I meant to say "nothing". I was aiming for "nothing". I accidentally said "everything"."

"What about you two? You all right?"

"We're always all right."

"Is "all right" special Time Lord and expert time traveller code for..."really not all right at all"?"

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm all right too."

I gave her a soft smile. "Come on." I said as me and The Doctor both took her hand and we walked off.

...

The Doctor placed River's diary on the edge of the balcony, placing his hand on it with a sigh.

"Your friend...Professor Song." Donna said to me and The Doctor. "She knew you in the future but she didn't know me. What happens to me? Because, when she heard my name, the way she looked at me-"

"Donna...this is her diary." I said. "Mine and The Doctor's future. We could look you up. What do you think? Shall we peek at the end?"

"Spoilers...right?"

"Right." The Doctor nodded, laying her screwdriver on top of the diary. "Come on. The next chapter's this way." And we walked away, up the stairs...

_When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it will never end. But however hard you try, you can't run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies, and nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of the all the worlds might just turn dark if he ever, for one moment, accepts it._

_**Saved.**_

_**SAVED.**_

_**S.A.V.E.D**_

I turned and sprinted back, picking up River's screwdriver as The Doctor watched my with shock.

"Why?" I asked quickly, looking back at him. "Why would we give her your screwdriver? Why would we do that? Thing is, Future You had years to think about it, all those years to think of a way to save her. What you did was give her a sonic screwdriver-why would you do that?" And then I found the panel, sliding it open and showing The Doctor the neural relay. "Oh, oh, oh... Look at that! You're very good!" He stared at the screwdriver in horror, but good horror, shock.

"What have you done?"

"Saved her." The Doctor said, running towards me and snatching the screwdriver before running off.

"You and us River." I laughed as I watched him run off. "One last run."

_Everybody knows that everybody dies... But not every day. Not today. Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all._ _Now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair and the Doctor comes to call..._ _Everybody lives. _

...

_Hero made his way through the room, darkly looking over at the chair where River had died in, not hours before. The wires were starting to die down now, not sparking as much as before._

_"It's safe Jenny." He called back. Jenny slowly made her way out of through, looking sadly round at everything. She made her way over to the chair, frowning at one of the arms. On the side of the metal arm was a crack, with a piece of paper sticking out of. _

_"Hero." She called over, pulling it out of the crack._

_Hero looked over and frowned, "What?"_

_"It's a page, from Melody's diary."_

_"What does it say?"_

_Jenny gulped and held it out to him, "I think it's for you."_

_Hero gently took it from her and turned it over. His eyes widened in horror and his breathing became extremely heavy as he began to hyperventilate. He grabbed Jenny's hand and sprinted off, making her yelp as her arm was nearly pulled out of her socket. The piece of paper dropped to the ground, with the beautiful, well written handwriting of River Song faced the ceiling as it read: __**BAD WOLF**_


	15. Turn Left

**A/N - So for all those who remember from the parralel world, Flo's double Mo, is in this chapter.**

Dripping annoyed her.

Then again, a lot of things annoyed her. Being a whole void away from the man she loved annoyed her.

The pink and yellow human wearing a purple leather jacket glanced round the empty warehouse filled with UNIT equipment and The TARDIS, dying, with wires crawling out of the door. Another woman with brown, curly hair stood behind her, aiming a sonic blaster at her.

"Does it bother you?"

"You died..." Rose gulped. "The Cybermen got you."

"Do not ruin her life, Miss Tyler."

Rose turned and looked at the woman, "You're nothing like Flo." She laughed. "She wouldn't try and shoot me."

"I'm pretty sure she's gained a back bone since you've been gone."

"Mo..."

Mo Maxwell-Smith, companion of the last Time Lord The Corsair, had of course been killed by the Cybermen back when The Doctor, Rose, Flo and Mickey ended up in the parallel world fighting John Lumic. But somehow, she was alive... Truth is, The Corsair came back and saved her.

"My time lord came back for me... did yours?" She smirked.

"My Flo was nicer than you..."

"You'll find that your Flo is no longer like that. She won't take any crap from you anymore. From nobody. She grew a back bone."

"We'll see about that."

Mo snarled at her, "If you go back there, and ruin the life The Doctor's put together without you, I will chase after you and shoot you down, ok?" She sighed. "But we need to find Donna first."

...

Rose bolted down the street as the ambulance doors shut and Donna walked away from the crime scene.

"What happened?" Rose asked as she stopped breathlessly next to the ginger, looking over at the Thames barriered off by UNIT. "What did they find?" She gasped out, before looking to Donna. "Sorry, did they find someone?"

"I don't know." Donna shrugged. "Um, bloke called the Doctor and a woman called Flo or something."

"Well, where are they?" Rose asked, looking aroud.

"They took them away. They're dead." Rose stopped and stared at her, grief-stricken. "I'm sorry. Did you know them?" Rose looked away in dismay. "I mean... they didn't say _his_ name... it could be any doctor."

"I came so far." Rose gulped.

Donna reached out, gently touching her arm. "It could be anyone."

Rose looked up at her again suddenly, "What's your name?"

"Donna. And you?" Rose looked at Donna's shoulder, a little distracted, knowing that the Trickster's brigade bug was attached to her.

"Oh, I was just... passing by." Rose mumbled. "I shouldn't even be here, this is... wrong. It's wrong. This is so wrong. Sorry, what was it? Donna what?"

"Why do you keep looking at my back?" Donna asked abruptly.

"I'm not." Rose said, averting her eyes from Donna's stare.

"Yes, you are." Donna snapped angrily. "You keep looking behind me. You're doing it now." She looked round, straining to see her own back. "What is it? What's there? Has someone put something on my back?"

She turned back round to find Rose had gone. She frowned at the thin air before walking off.

...

"Say I'm Flo." Mo shouted as she stormed through the warehouse towards Rose who was standing by The TARDIS, dodging in and out of the UNIT technicians wearing their white lab coats as they worked the equipment. "Guess who I've just lost?"

"Mo, please." Rose groaned, pushing herself off the door of The TARDIS and walking forward.

"SHE'S JUST LOST HER MOTHER, SIBLINGS AND BEST FRIEND. IN ONE DAY. ONE INCIDENT."

"We need Donna-"

"Martha Jones. She walked the Earth to save it from the Master. Sarah Jane Smith. _Sarah Jane Smith. _The ultimate companion. Luke Smith, Clyde Langer and Maria Jackson. They were 13 years old! _Children_, Rose. And in a few months time, the Titanic will crash, and then Amelia Pond, Rory Williams and Mels will be dead. How many more?"

...

"It's the ATMOS devices." Rose said, looking up at the sky as she and Donna sat on the park bench in the darkness. "We're lucky it's not so bad here, Britain hasn't got that much petrol. But all over Europe... China, South Africa... they're getting choked by gas."

"Can't anyone stop it?" Donna asked.

"Yeah, they're trying right now, this little band of fighters... on board the Sontaran ship... any second now..."

Suddenly, the sky turned to fire briefly before calm is restored.

"And that was...?"

"That was the Torchwood team." Rose gulped. "Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones - they gave their lives. And Captain Jack Harkness has transported to the Sontaran home world." She sighed. "There's no-one left." She added tiredly, numbly.

"You're always wearing the same clothes." Donna said, looking Rose up and down. "Why won't you tell me your name?"

"None of this was meant to happen." Rose mumbled. "There was a man. This... wonderful man..." She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. "And yes, this woman... and they stopped it. The Titanic, the Adipose, the ATMOS, they stopped them all from happening."

"That... Doctor and Flo?"

"You knew them."

"Did I? When?"

"I think you dream about them, sometimes. It's a man in a suit? A tall, thin man, great hair. Some... really great hair. And a woman, with curly brown hair."

"_Who are you?_"

"I was like you. I used to be you. You've travelled with them, Donna. You've travelled with the Doctor and Flo in a different world."

"I never met them, and they're dead."

"They died underneath the Thames on Christmas Eve, but you were meant to be there. They needed someone to stop them, and that was you. You made them leave. You saved their lives."

"Stop it." Donna snapped, standing up and starting to walk off. "I don't know what you're talking about, leave me alone!"

"Something's coming, Donna." Rose called, rising up from her seat. "Something worse."

"The whole world is stinking." Donna shouted, turning back and looking at her. "How can anything be worse than this?"

"Trust me. We need the Doctor _and _Flo more than ever. I've-" She swallowed and placed her hand to her heart. "I've been pulled across from a different universe, because every single universe is in danger. It's coming, Donna. It's coming from across the stars and nothing can stop it."

"WHAT is?"

"The darkness. An unborn child is going to destroy the world. And we need The Doctor and Flo to stop it."

"Well, what do you keep telling ME for?" Donna shouted angrily. "WHAT am I supposed to do? I'm nothing special. I mean, I'm- I'm not- I'm nothing special, I'm a temp. I'm not even that, I'm NOTHING."

Rose laughed at the notion, "Donna Noble, you're the most important woman in the whole of creation."

Donna gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "Oh, don't. Just..." She shook her head, smile gone. "Don't. I'm tired. I'm so... tired." She turned and began to leave.

"I need you to come with me."

Donna turned back with a derisive laugh, "Yeah. Well. Blonde hair might work on the men, but you ain't shifting me, lady."

Rose smiled, "That's more like it."

"I've got plenty more."

"I know you'll come with me. Only when you want to."

"You'll have a long wait, then."

"Not really, just three weeks. Tell me, does your grandfather still own that telescope?"

Donna frowned, "He never lets go of it."

"Three weeks time. But you've got to be certain. Because, when you come with me, Donna... sorry... so sorry, but... you're going to die." Donna stared at her and before her eyes, Rose faded away.

...

"They're going out." Wilf said, horrified. "Oh, my God, Donna! The stars are going out."

Donna got up and turned around, looking straight at Rose. "I'm ready."

...

Rose strode through the warehouse, leading Donna through with Mo, who was currently ignoring the blonde.

"Ma'am." Captain Magambo nodded to Rose.

"I've told you, don't salute." Rose said irritably as Mo tampered with the computer.

"Well, if you're not going to tell us your name..."

"What, you don't know either?" Donna asked.

"There's too many different realities. Trust me, the wrong word in the wrong place can change an entire causal nexus." Rose muttered as Mo turned back from the computer and raised an eyebrow at Rose. Rose didn't know what that meant. Flo did, which meant Mo did.

"She talks like that." Captain Magambo said to Donna. "A lot. And you must be Miss Noble."

"Donna." Donna corrected.

"Captain Erisa Magambo." Captain Magambo said, shaking hands with Donna. "Thank you for this."

"I don't even know what I'm doing."

"Is it awake?" Rose asked.

"Is _she _awake?" Mo corrected.

"It seems to be quiet today." Captain Magambo said eyeing Mo oddly. "Ticking over. Like it's waiting."

"Do you want to see inside her?" Mo asked Donna, nodding at The TARDIS

"What's a police box?" Donna asked nervously.

"We salvaged it from underneath the Thames. Just go inside."

"What for?"

"Just go in!"

Donna looked at both Rose and Mo hesitantly before stepping into The TARDIS, making both of them smile, waiting for it-

"No. WAY." Donna said loudly before laughing incredulously. They both smiled as Donna backed out and done the typical and usual walk around the outside of The TARDIS, feeling the sides before going back inside.

...

Rose, Mo and Donna walk around the TARDIS rota, Donna clutching a steaming cup of coffee as they observed the wires spilling out all over the console.

"Time And Relative Dimension In Space." Mo said. "This room used to shine with light." She gazed up at the rota sadly. "She's dying." She reached out and rubbed the console, making the rota rise a feeble inch or two in response. "She's still trying to help, bless her."

"And... and it belonged to the Doctor?" Donna asked.

"He was a Time Lord." Rose nodded. "Last of his kind."

"But if he's so special, what's he doing with me?" Donna asked, genuinley confused.

"He thought you were brilliant." Mo said simply.,

"Don't be stupid."

"Well, you are!" Rose said. "It just took the Doctor to show you that, simply by being with him." She looked away sadly. "He did the same to me. To everyone he touches."

Donna frowned, watching her. "Were you and him...?"

Rose looked up at her but stayed silent before being distracted by a clicking noise. She reached out and ran her hand over Donna's shoulder and back.

"Do you want to see it?"

"No." Donna replied immediately. "Go on, then."

...

"I don't know exactly how the TARDIS works, but we've managed to scrape off the surface technology - enough to show you the creature." Mo said as the three of them observed the circled mirrors.

"It's a creature?" Donna asked, alarmed.

"Just stand here." Rose said, leading Donna into the middle of the mirrors and straightening her up.

"Out of the circle, please." Captain Magambo called over to Rose.

"Yes, ma'am." Rose nodded before leaving the circle.

"Can't you stay with me?" Donna asked fearfully, just for Mo and Rose to look back at her.

"Ready?" Captain Magambo called out to the staff. "And... activate."

The sound of whirring machinery filled the air and the lights around the circumference of the circle snap on one by one as Donna squeezed her eyes tight shut.

"Open your eyes, Donna." Mo called over softly.

"Is it there?" Donna asked nervously.

"Yeah- open your eyes. Look at it."

Donna shook her head, "I can't."

"It's part of you, Donna. Look." Slowly, Donna opened her eyes. And in the mirrors, she saw what's was on her back - a massive, black beetle. She gasped in horror, spinning around frantically.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay - calm down." Rose said reassuringly. "Donna? Donna? Donna!" Donna stopped abruptly. "Ok."

Donna, as she took deep breaths, looked at the beetle with trepidation. She gasped, looking at it take up most of her back, its pincers nuzzling into her hair. Upon closer inspection, Donna looked, realising that it's wasn't causing her any physical pain. It's just clung there like a parasite, clicking away.

"What is it?" Donna asked.,

"We don't know."

"Oh. Thanks."

"It feeds off time." Mo sighed. "By - by changing time, by making someone's life take a different turn, like er... meetings never made... children never born... a life never loved. But with you, it's..."

Donna froze with fear, "But I never did- anything important."

"Yeah, you did." Rose said. "One day, that thing made you turn right instead of left."

"When was that?"

"Oh, you wouldn't remember. It was the most ordinary day in the world, but by turning right, you never met the Doctor and the whole world just changed around you."

"Can you get rid- of it?"

"We can't even touch it." Mo sighed, peering over.

"It seems to be in a state of flux." Rose commented.

"What - does that - mean?"

"I don't know. It's the sort of thing the Doctor would say!" Rose laughed, completely forgetting Donna wouldn't understand.

"You liar!" Donna shouted, her eyes filling with tears, becoming hysterical. "You told me I was special! But it's not me! It's this thing! I'm just a host!"

"No, there's more than that." Rose said calmly. "The readings are strange it's... it's like reality's just bending round you."

"Because of this thing!"

"No, no! We're getting separate readings from you. And they've always been there, since the day you were born."

"This is not relevant to the mission." Captain Magambo commented.

"I thought it was just the Doctor and Flo we needed, but it's the three of you. The Doctor, Flo and Donna Noble. Together. To stop the stars from going out."

"Why? What can I do?" Donna roared hysterically, shaking with fear and sheer confusion. Rose shook her head as Donna half glanced back at the beetle. "Turn it off. Please."

"Captain."

"Power down." Captain Magambo called over. The lights powered down, and Rose headed over to Donna, who was shaking uncontrollably, although the beetle couldn't be seen anymore.

"It's... it's still there, though." Donna said shakily. "What can I do... to get rid of it?"

"You're going to travel in time." Rose grinned.

...

"The TARDIS has tracked down the moment of intervention, Monday the 25th, one minute past ten in the morning." Mo explained as Rose helped Donna put on the big jacket covered in wires. "Your car was on Little Sutton Street Ealing Road, but you turn right heading for Griffin's Parade. You need to turn left. That's the most important thing. You've got to go back and turn left. Have you got that, Donna? One minute past ten. Make yourself turn left, heading for the Chiswick Highroad."

"Keep the jacket on at all times - it's insulation against temporal feedback." Captain Magambo said as a digital watch was placed on Donna's wrist. "This will correspond to local time wherever you land." She handed her a glass of water. "This is to combat dehydration."

...

Several UNIT soldiers, Magambo and Rose lead Donna over into the circle as Mo watched from afar.

"This is where we leave you." Rose said, stepping back next to Mo.

"I don't want to see that thing on my back." Donna said quickly.

"No! The mirrors are just incidental." Mo called over softly. "They bounce chronon energy back into the centre which we control and decide the destination."

"It's a time machine." Donna said in awe.

"It's a time machine." Rose and Mo said in unison, smiling at her.

"Powering up." Captain Magambo called over before the machinery burst into life again and the lights snapped on.

"How do you know it's going to work?" Donna asked.

"Hmm? Oh... yeah... we- we don't. We're just... we're just guessing." Rose shrugged.

"Yeah. Oh, brilliant!"

"Just remember, when you get to the junction, change the car's direction by one minute past ten."

"How do I do that?" Donna asked urgently.

"It's up to you."

"Well, I just have to... run up to myself and... have a good argument."

Rose laughed, "I'd like to see that!"

"Activate loadstone." Captain Magambo called out, flicking a switch and making the lights blink with the light on The TARDIS flashing.

"Good luck." Mo smiled.

"I'm ready!" Donna said enthusiastically.

"One minute past ten."

"Because I understand, now. You said I was going to die, but you mean this whole world is going to blink out of existence." Rose and Mo looked over sadly. "But that's not dying. Because a better world takes its place. The Doctor's world. And I'm still alive! That's right, isn't it? I don't die? If I change things, I don't die? That's... that's right, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry." Rose said sadly.

"But I can't die! I've got a future! With the Doctor and Flo - you told me!"

"Activate!"

The lights reached full intensity, and a strong wind billowed Donna - the beetle once again visible on her back - and sparks flew from the TARDIS, the mirror, the wires - and she disappeared into smoke.

Mo grabbed Rose's arm roughly. "Tell her to pass on the message."

...

Donna opened her eyes blearily and Rose kneeled down next to her.

"Tell him this: two words." She leaned closer and whispered in her ear before Donna's eyes closed and her head fell to the side.

...

Me and The Doctor eventually found Donna in a tent and we strolled in, hand in hand.

"Everything all right?" The Doctor asked mildly. Donna looked up from her seat in shock before jumping up and throwing her arms around the both of us, gasping with relief.

"Oh, God...!" Donna gasped.

"What was that for?" I laughed.

"I don't know!" She pulled back and looked at me, staring at my hair in shock. "Your hair is brown again!" She laughed. Yes, I had indeed dyed my hair brown again, it reminded me of the old times before the year that never was.

...

Donna sat on the Fortune Teller's box, opposite us as the Doctor examined the beetle, poking it with an incense stick.

"I can't remember." Donna sighed. "It's slipping away. You know like when you try and think of a dream and it just sort of... goes."

"It just got lucky, this thing." The Doctor said, nodding at the beetle. "It's one of the Trickster's Brigade. Changes a life in tiny little ways. Most times, the universe just compensates around it, but with you... Great big parallel world!"

Donna smiled before frowning, "Hold on, you said parallel worlds are sealed off."

"They are." I nodded. "But you had one created around you. Funny thing is, it seems to be happening a lot. To you."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, The Library and then this..." The Doctor shrugged.

"Just... goes with the job. I suppose."

"Sometimes I think there's way too much coincidence around you, Donna." The Doctor frowned. "We met you once. We met your grandfather. Then we met you again. In the whole wide universe, we met you for a second time. It's like something's binding us together."

"Don't be so daft. I'm nothing special." Donna laughed.

"Yes, you are, you're brilliant." I grinned.

Donna smiled back at us before her face dropped. "She said that."

"Who did?"

"That woman." She shook her head. "I can't remember."

"Well, she never existed now." The Doctor said.

"No, but she said... the stars... she said the stars are going out."

"Yeah, but that world's gone."

"No, but she said it was all worlds. Every world. She said the darkness is coming, even here."

Me and The Doctor shared a look before looking over at Donna. "Who was she?"

"I don't know."

"What did she look like?" I asked.

"She was... Blonde."

"What was her name?" The Doctor asked quietly.

"I don't know!"

"Donna, what was her name?" I asked insistently, trembling.

"But she told me... to warn you." Donna gasped. "She said... two words."

"What two words? What were they? What did she say?" The Doctor asked urgently.

"Bad Wolf." The Doctor and I's eyes widened and we began to shake, staring at Rose. "Well, what does it mean-?"

"No." I cried out.

No.

This wasn't happening.

I couldn't do this.

It wasn't fair.

I leapt to my feet and burst out of the tent with The Doctor chasing after. We bolted out into the market place, looking around at the posters, banners and flags that read 'Bad Wolf' everywhere. I glanced over at The TARDIS, where the sign ahd been replaced by the words 'Bad Wolf' over and over again. I ran over to it and wrenched open the door. The three of us bolted it, staring at the console room flooded with a hellish red light as Donna slammed the door behind us.

"Doctor, what is it? What's Bad Wolf?" Donna asked.

"It's the end of the Universe." Me and The Doctor gasped in unison.

**A/N - And this is where it really starts. We will see the return of Jenny and Hero in the next chapter. I'm also releasing the name of the next story which is: Me And You, Apart. And why is it called that? Well you'll have to find out... It won't be put up yet, but I'm just letting you all know because people always don't realise the new story is up until I'm like 4 or 5 chapters in. So, get ready, this is where it gets complicated... **


	16. The Stolen Earth

The three of us bolted out of The TARDIS into a perfectly normal surburban street. The Doctor looked round, panic struck across his face as we looked at our surroundings.

"It's fine... everything's fine." The Doctor said breathlessly, looking round as a milk cart trundled down the road and stopped a short distance away. "Nothing's wrong, it's all fine!" He looked over at the milkman. "Excuse me?" He called over. "What day is it?"

"Saturday." The Milkman replied.

"Saturday! Good!" He turned back to me and Donna. "Good, I like Saturdays."

"So... I just met Rose Tyler?" Donna asked.

"Yeah." I breathed, looking around uneasily.

"But she's locked away in a parallel world."

"Exactly." The Doctor began, speaking quickly. "If she can cross from her parallel world to your parallel world, then that means the walls of the universe are breaking down, which puts everything in danger. Everything. But how?" He turned to walk into The TARDIS, only for me to pull him back round by the arm.

"I have to stay on Earth." I said.

"What?" The Doctor asked me, wide eyed. "No way, you are not leaving my sight."

"Everything is in danger. My family is here."

"And my family is _here_." The Doctor said sternly, gesturing to the baby and me.

"Please, Doctor, trust me."

The Doctor sighed, "Ok."

...

_The Manhattan HQ Base of UNIT was a wreck. There were smoking wires, sparks and the shouts of frightened people as Jenny walked through nervously, looking around franticly. She looked over to see Martha lying on the floor, unconscious and she stopped directly next to her._

_"Is she ok?" Jenny asked herself quietly before immediately Martha's eyes open and she lifted her head off the floor._

_"What was that?" Martha asked, sitting up. "Was there some sort of earthquake or...?"_

_"Martha." She looked up at Jenny as she grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "To answer your question..." Jenny began, making Martha stare at her, wide eyed. "No, that wasn't an earthquake. I'm not sure what is was."_

_"But you're dead." Martha whispered, reaching forward and cupping the girls face. "I checked your pulse, you jumped in front of a bullet for The Doctor and Flo, Jenny."_

_"I'm alive, Auntie Martha." She giggled as Martha pulled her into a hug. She pulled back and smiled at Jenny before looking across the room, noticing the whole UNIT headquarters had been thrown into disarray. _

_"Jalandra, are you all right?" Martha called across the room._

_"Yeah, I'm okay." Jalandra replied._

_"Is anyone hurt?" She called out as a woman crossed past Martha and pulled up the blinds. "We've lost power, someone get the lights back on - DaCosta, see to it right now." She ordered out before noticing the woman at the window._ _"Suzanne? Are you okay?"_

_"Martha. Look at the sky..." Suzanne said, staring out, wide eyed._

_"Why, what is it?"_

_"Just look at the sky!"_

_Jenny and Martha shared a look before crossing over to another window and looking out. They stared up at the planets in the sky, watching in shock._

_"Now we're in trouble." Jenny commented._

_"It can't be..." Martha whispered. _

...

_Like UNIT, Torchwood had been thrown into turmoil by the tremor, paper scattered everywhere, equipment smashed, rubble falling from the ceiling -_

_"Whoa!" Jack shouted through his office into the hub, clambering to his feet. He looked over to the other side of his office at Hero, pulling himself to his feet. "What happened?"_

_"Must be the rift..." Hero said before he and Jack ran into the hub._

_"Gwen? Ianto? Are you okay?" Jack shouted out, looking over at Gwen and Ianto in an untidy pile on the floor amidst the mess._

_"No broken bones... slight loss of dignity." Ianto said. "No change there, then."_

_"The whole city must've felt that!" Gwen gasped as she and Ianto got up. "The whole of South Wales!"_

_"I'm gonna take a look outside..." Jack said before the alarms sounded and the door rolled open. Jack sprinted out as Gwen and Ianto walked up behind Hero as he pressed a few buttons on the computer._

_"Little bit bigger than South Wales." Hero said casually as Gwen and Ianto watched the screen in shock._

...

I looked up, leaning against Mr Smith where I'd been thrown against, watching Mum run through from by her desk in the attic to Luke who had been thrown on the floor. "Luke?" She asked, pulling him to his feet. "Are you all right?!" I pulled myself and bolted over to him as Mum noticed me, pulling me into a hug.

"Felt like some sort of cross-dimensional spatial transference." Luke exclaimed.

"It's dark outside." I whispered, glancing out at the dark sky through the window.

"But it's night! It wasn't night, it was eight o'clock in the morning..." Mum frowned nervously.

"Mr Smith! I need you!" I said loudly, and we approached Mr Smith as he opened out, blaring a fanfare.

"Can you just stop giving that fanfare, you just tell me what happened!" Mum said after he finished opening up.

"Sarah Jane, Flo I think you should look outside. I think you'll find the visual evidence most conclusive." Mr Smith informed us. Mum nodded and ran out of the room as I glanced back at Luke. I put my arm around him into a hug before looking out of the window with him. And there, in the darkness, was lots of different planets in the sky.

"Oh god." I whispered.

...

_Hero stood next to Jack as he typed onto a computer, looking over at Ianto flicking through television channels. Ianto burst out laughing and Jack looked over at him, frowning._

_"Ianto!" Jack called over. "There's a time and a place."_

_"He is funny, though." Ianto said, giving a small laugh and turning off the monitor._

_"Gwen, come and see!" Hero called up to the upper level of Torchwood to Gwen, who was walking through on her mobile._

_"Rhys?" Gwen asked into her mobile. "I have no idea, just stay indoors. And can you phone my mother? Tell her um... oh, I don't know, just tell her to take her pills and go to sleep." She paused, smiling. "I'm gonna come home as soon as I can. I promise. I love you... you big idiot." She smiled one last time and hung up before making her way down to the other members of the team._

_"Someone's established an artificial atmospheric shell keeping the air and holding in the heat." Hero said, changing the screen over to a 3D diagrammatic representation of the 26 planets surrounding the Earth._

_"Whoever's done this wants the human race alive. That's a plus." Ianto commented. "Twenty-seven planets, including the Earth." Suddenly, a flashing red spot of light became visible amongst the planets._

_"No, but what's that?" Gwen asked uneasily as Jack and Hero shared a look. "That's not a planet!"_

...

"The reading seems to be artificial in construction." Mr Smith said as we looked at the screen with a image of a red light in the middle of the planets.

"Some sort of space station. Sitting at the heart of the web." Mum said as Luke appeared with his mobile.

"They're fine. Maria and her dad, they're safe in Washington." Luke said, smiling at me. "I told them to stay indoors. And Clyde's all right, he's with his mum and Rani's with her Mum and Dad."

"Sarah Jane, I have detected movement. Observe." More red dots appeared on the screen.

"Spaceships!" Luke grinned as me and Mum smiled back, a little uneasy.

...

_"Tracking two-hundred objects, Earthbound trajectory." General Sanchez shouted as he marched into the office admist the chaos. "Geneva is calling a Code Red. Everyone to battle positions. Doctor Jones -" He looked over to Martha with her mobile to her ear as she stood next to Jenny. "If you're not too busy?"_

_"I'm trying to phone the Doctor, Sir." Martha replied. _

_"And?" General Sanchez asked before saluting to Jenny. "Miss Smith." Jenny nodded back at him. The thing is, Flo was going to murder Captain Jack Harkness when she found out. Because as soon as Hero got Jenny from Messaline, he genuinley didn't know what to do with her. So he went to Jack, and since Jack, Gwen and Ianto had lost Tosh and Owen, they needed the help. So they stayed working at Torchwood until Hero felt he wanted to have a proper goodbye to River. River Song was a massive and important of his life, and Flo and The Doctor would eventually learn that. But River was a genius, and knew she had to warn Hero, hence the note warning him and Jenny: BAD WOLF._

_"There's no signal. This number calls anywhere in the universe. It never breaks down. They must be blocking it." Martha said, snapping the phone shut and looking up at the screen displaying the planets and the red light. "Whoever 'they' are."_

_"We're about to find out. They're coming into orbit."_

...

_Hero and Jack watched with a frown at the screen, not as nervous as Gwen and Ianto as they watched the spaceships loom closer._

_"Three-thousand miles and closing." Gwen said nervously. "But who are they?!"_

_Suddenly, Jack's phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, read the caller ID before showing it to Hero. Hero let out a woop of joy before Jack flipped it open and answered it._

_"Martha Jones!" Jack said cheerily. "Voice of a nightingale. Tell me you put something in my drink."_

...

_"No such luck." Martha replied as Jenny leaned over her shoulder, listening. "Have you heard from the Doctor?"_

_"Not a word." Jack replied. "Where are you?"_

_"New York."_

...

_"Hm, nice for some." Jack muttered, glancing over at Hero smirking at him._

...

_"I've been promoted." Martha said, walking through the office with Jenny following. "Medical Director on Project Indigo."_

...

_Hero looked up, managing to catch that before sharing a shocked look with Jack._

_"Did you get that thing working?" Jack asked._

...

_Martha stopped abruptly, brow furrowed. "Indigo's top secret. No-one's supposed to know about it."_

...

_"Oh, I met a soldier in a bar. Long story." Jack shrugged._

_"When was that?" Ianto asked suspsiciously._

_"Strictly professional." Jack replied reassuringly._

_"Fifteen-hundred miles, boys, and accelerating." Gwen gulped, watching the screen. "They're almost here."_

...

"I'm receiving a communication from the earthbound ships. They have a message for the human race."

"Put it through, let's hear it." I said.

And so the message was played, "**Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!**"

No.

Not now.

Not here.

Not with my baby.

Now was _not _the time for the bloody Daleks to turn up.

"No..." Mum whispered as she started crying, pulling me and Luke into a hug. "Oh god, you're so young." She sobbed to Luke.

...

_Jack opened his mouth to say something, before the message played through the Torchwood hub._

"**Exterminate!**"

...

_Back in Manhattan, the same message played through. _

"**Exterminate!**" _Martha's eyes widened and she grabbed onto Jenny's arm._

...

_"No." Jack gulped, pulling Ianto, Gwen and Hero closer to him as he started trembling. "Oh, no."_

_"What is it?" Gwen asked as Hero stared out into space darkly. "Who are they? Do you know them, Jack?"_

_"There's nothing I can do." Jack gulped, staring at the monitor. "I'm sorry, but we're dead."_

...

_"Battle positions!" General Sanchez shouted, walking through the office. "Geneva declaring ultimate Code Red. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are at war."_

_The staff were thrown around like rag dolls from the force of the explosions around them, the air thick with sparks as Martha ran to the window, breathing heavily, and watched the Dalek ships gliding over New York, fired missiles relentlessly as they go. She groaned out fearfully, she was useless here. Why on Earth didn't she take The Doctor and Flo up on their offer of going to Midnight? She could of been with them now, helping._

...

_Jack ran to a computer as an alarm sounded throught Torchwood. _

_"The shields are down! There's so many of them! Abandon ship!" A voice called through._

_"The Valiant's down!" Jack shouted over to Hero in horror. _

_"Airforce retreating over North Africa!" Hero called over, looking at another computer with Ianto._

_"Daleks landing in Japan." Ianto called._

_"We've lost contact with the Prime Minister's plane." Gwen called over from another computer. "Jack! Manhattan!"_

_Jack grabbed his phone, "Martha, get out of there."_

...

_"I can't, Jack, I've got a job to do." Martha said, wrapping a bandage around a man's head as Jenny held the phone up for her._

...

_"They're targeting military bases, and you're next on the list." Jack begged before Hero grabbed the phone from him._

_"Martha, please." Hero gasped out, squeezing the phone tight._

_"Hero." Martha gulped. "What the bloody hell are you doing there?"_

_"Just get Jenny out of there, please."_

_"How did you know she was here? HOW DID YOU KNOW SHE WAS ALIVE?"_

_"I'm coming to get her." Hero said, thumping the phone into Jack's hand before teleporting off._

_"That was our escape route." Jack grumbled, staring at the empty space._

...

_Hero reappeared inside UNIT, grabbed Jenny up from behind her waist and began to put coordinates into the vortex manipulator._

_"Look after her!" Martha called up from bandaging the man, putting on her bluetooth, without bothering to look up._

_"Wait, we have to help her!" Jenny cried, trying to pull away._

_"Save the world Martha Jones, it's what you're good at!" Hero shouted over the noise before teleporting off again._

...

_"This is the Commander General of the United Nations calling the Dalek fleet." The voice called out through the transmissions into the hub. "We surrender. Repeat: we surrender." Ianto put down a tray of coffee and slumped into a chair in defeat. "Planet Earth surrenders."_

_Gwen looked up emptily from the sofa, looking over at the staircase into the med bay at Jack who was sitting against the wall, clutching his phone. "Hero and Jenny aren't coming back, are they?" She called over. Jack looked up at her, and blinked before turning away again._

...

Me, Mum and Luke sat on the steps of the attic, hoplessly staring at Mr Smith.

"I'm so sorry." I mumbled. "I should have got you out of this. I should have been the one to save you. It's me that should be making sure we're not about to be killed."

"It's not your fault." Mum whispered, placing a kiss to my forehead.

"Can anyone hear me?" A voice came through Mr Smith... A very familiar voice. "The Subwave Network is open. You should be able to hear my voice... Is there anyone there?"

"Who's that?" Luke asked.

"Some poor soul calling for help." Mum whispered, keeping a tight grip around us.

"...can anyone hear me?" The voice asked.

"There's nothing we can do."

"But look at Mr Smith." I said as a video call started to come through.

"Processing incoming sound wave." Mr Smith announced.

"This message is of the utmost importance. We haven't much time... Can anyone hear me? Sarah Jane Smith, 13 Bannerman Road...are you there?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm here! Yeah, that's me!" Mum said as the call came through and we all jumped up, it was Harriet Jones. HARRIET JONES. I smirked a little, knowing my boyfriend deposed her with 6 words. Hang on, that wasn't good. Oh well.

"Good...Now, let's see if we can talk to each other." The screen divided up into four parts one with us, one with Harriet and one with Jack with the last one still getting through. Hang on... Jack! JACK!

"JACK!" I shouted, grinning.

"The fourth contact seems to be having some trouble getting through. I'll just boost the signal..." Harriet tapped a few more buttons and Martha with Francine next to her appeared on the screen.

"Martha Jones!" Jack laughed, I sighed in relief, seeing two of my best friends ok. "Martha, where are you?!"

"I guess Project Indigo was more clever than we thought." Martha sighed. "One second I was in Manhattan... Next second...Maybe Indigo tapped into my mind. Cos I ended up in the one place that I wanted to be."

"You came home... At the end of the world, you came back to me." Francine said to her, smiling.

"But then all of a sudden, it's like the laptop turned itself on."

"It did. That was me." Harriet flashed her ID. "Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister."

"Yes, I know who you are." Martha laughed.

"I thought it was about time we all met. Given the current crisis."

"Torchwood, this is Sarah Jane Smith." I introduced, gesturing to Jack, who had been joined by Gwen and Ianto, on the screen and Mum.

"I've been following your work." Jack nodded. "Nice job with the Slitheen."

"Yeah, well I've been staying away from you lot." Mum said. "Too many guns!" She nodded towards Luke, who stared at the screen sheepishly.

"All the same, might I say, looking good, ma'am."

"Really? Oh."

"Oi Harkness, that's my mother thank you!" I said mock angrily.

"Flo." He saluted me.

"And this is Martha Jones." I introduced.

"What the hell are you even doing there? Shouldn't you be with The Doctor?" Jack asked me.

"Long story." I sighed. "I came back to Mum but I can't get back to The TARDIS now, can't pinpoint her."

"But how did you find me?" Martha asked Harriet.

"This, ladies and gentlemen, this is the Subwave Network." Harriet said. "A sentient piece of software, programmed to seek out anyone and everyone who can help to contact the Doctor."

"What if the Daleks can hear us?" Martha asked in a hushed tone.

"No, that's the beauty of the Subwave, it's undetectable."

"A-and you invented it?" Mum asked.

"I developed it. It was created by the Mr Copper Foundation." Me and Martha smiled at each other, good old Mr Copper.

"Yeah, but what we need right now is a weapon." Jack interrupted. "Martha, back there at UNIT, what - what did they give you, what was that key thing?"

"The Osterhagen Key." Martha said dryly, holding up a small blax box on a metal chain.

"That key is not to be used, Dr Jones. Not under any circumstances!" Harriet snapped.

"But what is an Osterhagen Key?" I asked.

"Forget about the key and that's an order! All we need is the Doctor."

"Oh excuse me, Harriet, but, well the thing is, if you're looking for the Doctor... didn't he depose you?" Mum asked.

"He did. And I've wondered about that for a long time. Whether I was wrong, but I stand by my actions, to this day. Because I knew, I knew that one day, the Earth would be in danger, and the Doctor would fail to appear. I told him so myself. And he didn't listen."

"But I've been trying to find him. The Doctor's got my phone on the TARDIS, but I can't get through." Martha sighed.

"I think we're out of range." I frowned.

"But it can call anywhere in the universe!" Jack said.

"Exactly! Somethings happening..."

"Flo, is there something you're not telling us?"

"No." I said quickly.

"That's why we need the Subwave." Harriet butted in. "To bring us all together, combine forces. The Doctor's secret army."

"Wait a minute... we boost the signal!" I said suddenly.

"That's it! We transmit that telephone number through Torchwood itself, using all the power of the Rift..." Jack said, also realising.

"And we've got Mr Smith! He can link up with every telephone exchange on the Earth." Luke said, grinning. "He can get the whole world to call the same number, all at the same time! Billions of phones, calling out, all at once!"

"Haha, brilliant! Who's the kid?" Jack asked.

"That's my son!" Mum said defensively.

"Excuse me, sorry, sorry, hello, Ianto Jones." Ianto said, pushing past and in front of the computer screen. "Um, if we start transmitting, then this Subwave Network is going to become visible. I mean, to the Daleks."

"Yes, and they'll trace it back to me." Harriet nodded bravely. "But my life doesn't matter. Not if it saves the Earth."

Jack saluted her. "Ma'am."

"Thank you, Captain. But there are people out there dying, on the streets. Now enough of words. Let's begin!"

Jack nodded at the screen and the three Torchwood members began to run off round the hub. "Rift power activated!" Jack called out.

"All terminals coordinated!" Gwen shouted over.

"National grid online... giving you everything we've got!" Ianto called out.

"Connecting you to Mr Smith!" I said as I typed on the keyboard.

"All telephone networks combined!" Luke said, pulling a lever.

"Sending you the number... now!" Martha said, pressing a button computer, sending over the number.

"Opening Subwave Network to maximum." Harriet muttered.

"Mr Smith... make that call!" I ordered.

"Calling the Doctor." Mr Smith said as The Doctor's number appeared on the screen. I pulled out my mobile and dialled Martha's number, the phone The Doctor had and held it to my ear.

"Aaand sending!" Jack said as Mum pulled me and Luke back from the sparking Mr Smith.

"Mr Smith, now at 200 per cent!" I shouted.

"Oh, come on, Doctor!" Mum begged.

"I am going to kill him!" I shouted.

"Harriet! A saucer's locked on to your location, they've found you..." Gwen said, reappearing in the camera view.

"I know. I'm using the Network to mask your transmission. Keep going!" Harriet called to us. Suddenly, the walls of Harriet's house behind her blew in and she stood up, pressing one final button. "Captain, I'm transferring the Subwave Network to Torchwood. You're in charge now. And tell the Doctor from me... he chose his companions well. It's been an honour." She turned to face three Daleks that had rolled in before the screen went dead. Everything went quiet for a second and we walked towards Mr Smith, everything gone calm before The Doctor and Donna appeared on the screen.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Me and Jack shouted.

"Doctor, it's the Daleks!" Jack said.

"When I get back to The TARDIS, I'm going to kill you, then kiss you!" I shouted at him.

"You decided to stay on Earth." He laughed, winking at me.

"There's Daleks here you prat! And hey, don't worry about getting Donna in danger. I love you you stupid stupid man."

"Love you too dear." He said with a wink.

"It's the Daleks, they are taking people to their spaceship..." Mum interupted.

"...it's not just Dalek Caan!" Martha said.

"Sarah Jane!" The Doctor grinned. "Who's that boy?" He half asked me. "That must be Luke and that must be Torchwood. Aren't they brilliant? Look at you all, you clever people!"

"That's Martha. And who's..." Donna pointed at the screen. "He?"

"Captain Jack. Don't. Just... don't."

"It's like an outer space Facebook." Donna said, making me laugh.

"Everyone except Rose..." The Doctor said quietly, but everyone heard and looked sheepish as my face dropped slightly. It was ok, she still meant a lot to him, I wasn't the jealous type. "Ah..." I heard The Doctor say as the screen went white but we could still hear each other.

"We've lost them!" Donna said.

"No, no, no, no, there's another signal coming through, there's someone else out there." I heard him whack the top of the monitor. Hello? Can you hear me? Rose?"

"Your voice is different. And yet, its arrogance is unchanged." A voice said, making Mum freeze.

"No. But he's dead..." She whispered, squeezing mine and Luke's hands as Davros appeared on the screen. I knew it was him, the creator of the Daleks, Mum and The Doctor had told me all about him. Suddenly the transmission cut dead.

"TARDIS heading for Vector 7, grid reference 665." Mr Smith said. I looked back at Mum and she nodded, grabbing her car keys as I typed in the coordinates into the vortex minipulator.

"But there are Daleks out there!" Luke said as Mum put on her jacket.

"I know, I'm sorry, but we have got to find the Doctor..." Mum said.

"Don't move, don't leave the house, don't do anything." I begged him as I held my arm out to Mum.

"No, you need to find him first and I'll just slow you down."

"I will protect the boy, Sarah Jane." Mr Smith said.

"I love you. Remember that." She said to Luke and then at me. "Both of you." She said before running out of the attic. I pressed a quick kiss to Luke's cheek before teleporting off.

...

The Doctor grabbed my hand as soon as I reappeared, like he knew I'd be there and Donna just smiled at me before looking around the deserted street.

"Like a ghost town..."

"Sarah Jane said they were taking the people. What for?" The Doctor muttered. "Think, Donna, when you met Rose in that parallel world, what did she say?"

"Just... the darkness is coming."

"Anything else?"

Donna smiled, "Why don't you ask her yourself?" We both turned round and there she stood, Rose Tyler, at the end of the street, smiling brightly at The Doctor. Everything went into slow motion, and it all started flooding back.

_Rose looked at The Doctor before looking back at me and yanking her hand away and she started flying towards the void when Pete appeared, catching her before dissapearing again._

The Doctor let go of my hand and they started walking towards each other, then running, then sprinting before a Dalek came out of the darkness inbetween them.

"Exterminate!" A beam of light shot out and skimmed across his chest, making him fall to the floor as Jack appeared with a flash of light, shooting the Dalek and blowing it up as me and Donna started sprinting towards them. Me and Rose dropped down at The Doctor's sides as Rose raised his head up.

"I've got you, it missed you. Look, it's me." Rose said.

"Rose..."

"Hi."

"Long time no see."

"Yeah, been busy, y'know."

"Flo." He groaned out.

"Don't die, oh, my God, don't die. Oh, my god, don't die..." Rose said, panicking.

"We need to get him into The TARDIS." I said, looking up at Jack and he nodded at me, although Rose didn't move. "Rose." She didn't look up. "Rose! Listen, we need to get him into The TARDIS." I snapped.

"Get him into the TARDIS, quick. Move!" Jack ordered.

...

"What - what do we do?! There must be some medicine or something!" Donna sobbed.

"Just step back." Jack said, pulling Donna back. "Rose! Do as I say, and get back! He's dying and you know what happens next."

"What d'you mean?" Donna asked.

"Oh, no, I came all this way." She cried.

"What d'you mean? What happens next?"

"It's starting..." The Doctor said, looking up at his hand before looking at me.

"Here we go. Good luck, Doctor!" Jack said, pulling Rose back.

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?!"

"When he's dying, his body... it repairs itself. It changes." I explained calmly as I helped The Doctor stand before running back to Jack.

"But you can't!" Rose sobbed as he put his arm around me.

"What and leave him to die?" I snapped, pulling her back out of the way. "How selfish are you?"

"I'm sorry, it's too late. I'm regenerating." The Doctor threw his arms out and the regeneration energy filled his body.


	17. Journeys End

The Doctor stood there, regenerating when he leant over and stuck his arms out, the energy flowing into the jar under the console, containing his hand. Wait, his hand. _Of course!_

The Doctor stumbled back before gulping at us. "Now then. Where were we?" The three of us stared at him in disbelief. He grinned at us before getting on his hands and knees in front of the jar as it glowed at bubbled. "There now..." He leant forward and blew on the jar, making the glow fade away and the bubbling stop.

"You see?" I asked as The Doctor looked up at us, sitting up. "Used the regeneration energy to heal himself, but soon as he was done, he didn't need to change." I giggled as Rose stared at me in shock. Of course, the last time she saw we, I was completely clueless on this sort of thing. Now I was quite the expert.

"I didn't want to, why would I?" The Doctor asked, pouting, before he adjusted his tie with a smug expression. "Look at me! So, to stop the energy going all the way, I siphoned off the rest into a handy bio-matching receptacle, namely, my hand, my hand there, my handy spare hand!" He leaned over and grapped the belt loops on my jeans and pulled himself up, placing a kiss on my stoumach as he went before turning to Rose. "Remember, Christmas Day, Sycorax, lost my hand in a sword fight? That's my hand." He nodded towards the hand. "What d'you think?"

Rose walked slowly towards him as he let go of me, "You - you're still you?"

"I'm still me." He nodded, smiling. She grinned at him before hugging tightly.

"You can hug me, if you want." Donna said to Jack, making him laugh. "No, really, you can hug me!"

Suddenly, the console room went dark, making us all look up in shock. "They've got us!" I shouted, running round the console, with Rose still watching me with shock.

"Power's gone!" The Doctor groaned, running round towards me. "Some kind of..."

"Chronon loop!" We shouted in unison. The Doctor quickly pulled me back by the waist and I let out a small yelp as the TARDIS began to rock and we were pulled up into the sky.

The Doctor pushed past me and up to the scanner, ripping off the scan photo and handing it over to Jack, "Look after that." The Doctor said sternly. "We're not having the Daleks getting hold of _that_." Jack looked down at the photo before peering over at me, smiling slowly.

"Well then Miss Maxwell..." Jack smirked as Rose peered over and looked at the picture before her jaw dropped.

"Stop it." The Doctor called over warily.

"Yeah," Donna sighed happily, looking over at the picture. "Number 2 on the way."

"Number 2?" Rose asked, shocked.

Donna nodded, "Jenny."

"When is Doctor Jones returning home?" The Doctor asked. "Do you know? It's awfully quite around here without her and all her medical books all over the place."

"Seems like you've built a great life without me." Rose interrupted rudely, glancing away.

"We've done our best." I replied as she looked up at me and finally looked me in the eyes since she'd first arrived back.

"Anyway." The Doctor said awkwardly, turning to Jack as we all turned and leaned against the railing. "Do you have any idea where we're going?"

"There's a massive Dalek ship at the centre of the planets." Jack replied nervously. "They're calling it the Crucible. Guess that's our destination."

"You said these planets were like an engine." Donna said, frowning. "But what for?"

"Rose!" The Doctor exclaimed. "You've been in a parallel world, that world's running ahead of this universe. You've seen the future. What was it?"

"It's the darkness." Rose gulped.

"The stars were going out." Donna whispered.

"One by one. We looked up at the sky and they were just dying. Basically, we've been building this, um... this travel machine, this... this, er, Dimension Cannon, so I c- well, so, I could..."

The Doctor grinned, "What?" He asked.

"So I could come back." The Doctor's grin grew wider. "Shut up. Anyway, suddenly, it started to work and the dimensions started to collapse. Not just in our world, not just in yours, but the whole of reality. Even the Void was dead. Something is destroying everything."

"A canon?!" I asked. "Rose, no wonder the _Void _is dead, the dimension jumpers took up enough energy, especially in the middle of Canary Wharf, but a canon?!"

"I didn't think." Rose mumbled. "I had to get back, I had to..."

I shook my head and looked away.

"In that parallel world..." Donna began. "You said something about me."

"The Dimension Cannon could measure timelines, and it's... it's weird, Donna, but they all seemed to converge on you." Rose gulped, looking back to The Doctor.

"But why me? I mean, what have I ever done? I'm a temp. From Chiswick!"

A beep filled the room and The Doctor leaned towards the monitor.

"The Dalek Crucible." He said, breathing in sharply. "All aboard!"

"The TARDIS is secured." A Dalek's voice boomed through.

"Doctor, you will step forth or die." Another called.

"We'll have to go out." I sighed. "Cos if we don't, they'll get in."

"You told me nothing could get through those doors." Rose said.

"You've got extrapolator shielding!" Jack frowned.

"Last time we fought the Daleks, they were scavengers and hybrids and mad." The Doctor said, turning back and looking at them. "But this is a fully-fledged Dalek Empire, at the height of its power. Experts at fighting TARDISes, they can do anything. Right now, that wooden door... is just wood."

"What about your Dimension Jump?" Jack asked.

"It needs another 20 minutes, and anyway, I'm not leaving." Rose exclaimed.

"What about your teleport?" The Doctor asked.

"Went down with the power loss." Jack sighed, before looking round quickly. "Is there no way of getting Flo out of here?"

I laughed, "I'm not going anywhere!"

"You don't have a choice." The Doctor hissed.

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Don't I? I have my own body, one that's carrying your son if you remember."

"You're sounding like Hero." He whispered angrily.

"And that's a bad thing how?"

The Doctor stared back at me, frustrated, before looking back at everyone else. "Right, then, all of us together... Yeah."

I glanced over, noticing Donna's absence from the conversation as she stared into space. "Donna?" I asked.

Donna shook her head and looked over at us, "Yeah." She said.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said. "There's nothing else we can do."

"Look, I know."

"Surrender, Doctor, and face your Dalek masters." A Dalek boomed.

"Crucible on maximum alert." Another screeched.

"Daleks." Rose laughed nervously.

"Oh, God!" Jack laughed.

"It's been good, though, hasn't it?" The Doctor asked. "All of us, all of it. Everything we did." He looked over at Donna. "You were brilliant." She smiled back at him before he turned to Jack. "And you were brilliant."

"And you were brilliant." I interrupted, smiling at Rose. She stared back at me, a bit shocked before giving me an awkward smile. Because the thing is, no matter how Rose ever treated me, I had missed her, and I always forgave her. God knows why.

The Doctor took a deep breath, taking my hand. "Blimey!" We walked forward and stepped out of The TARDIS with Jack and Rose following. We stepped out into a sort of spaceship with a red Dalek on a higher up level, the Supreme Dalek, with millions of other Daleks swarming the air.

"Daleks reign supreme. All hail the Daleks!" The Supreme Dalek boomed out.

"Daleks reign supreme. All hail the Daleks! Daleks reign supreme. All hail the Daleks!" The rest of the Daleks chanted. "Daleks reign supreme. All hail the Daleks! Daleks reign supreme. All hail the Daleks!"

"Behold, Doctor! Behold the might of the true Dalek race!"

The Doctor and I glanced back to find Donna wasn't with us, "Donna, you're no safer in there." The Doctor called back before suddenly, the doors slammed. "What?" He bolted back up to The TARDIS.

"Doctor? Flo?" Donna shouted, banging on the door from the inside. "What have you done?"

"It wasn't me, I didn't do anything!"

"Oi! Oi, I'm not staying behind!"

"What did you do?!" I shouted up at the Supreme Dalek.

"This is not of Dalek origin." The Supreme Dalek replied.

"Doctor! Flo!" Donna shouted.

"Stop it!" The Doctor called over his shoulder. "She's my friend, now open the door and let her out!"

"This is Time Lord treachery." The Supreme Dalek jeered.

"Me? The door just closed on its own!"

"Nevertheless, the TARDIS is a weapon and it will be destroyed." Suddenly, a trap door opened beneath The TARDIS and it dropped down.

"What are you doing?" I gasped, running towards the trap door for The Doctor to pull me back by the waist from the edge. "Bring it back!"

"What've you done, where's it going?!" The Doctor shouted as we looked back at the Supreme Dalek.

"The Crucible has a heart of Z-Neutrino Energy." The Supreme Dalek informed us. "The TARDIS will be deposited into the core."

"You can't, you've taken the defences down, it'll be torn apart!" I screamed.

"But Donna's still in there!" Rose shouted.

"Let her go!" Jack roared.

"The female and the TARDIS will perish together." The Supreme Dalek said. "Observe!" A holographic screen appeared, showing The TARDIS bobbing in the energy field. "The last child of Gallifrey is powerless."

"Please, I'm begging you, I'll do anything!" The Doctor begged. "Put me in her place, you can do anything to me, I don't care, just get her out of there!"

"You are connected to the TARDIS. Now feel it die!"

Both Rose and I walked up to The Doctor either side of him. I took one of his hands and Rose went to take the other, only for The Doctor to place it on my stoumach instead.

"It's going to be ok." I sobbed. "I promise."

"Total TARDIS destruction in ten rels, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one..." The TARDIS dissapeared inside the hot molten core. "The TARDIS has been destroyed. Now tell me, Doctor. What do you feel? Anger? Sorrow? Despair?"

"Yeah." The Doctor gulped.

"Then if emotions are so important, surely we have enhanced you?"

"Yeah?" Jack shouted, making us look round at him as he pulled out his gun. "Feel this!" He shot a few bullets at the Supreme Dalek, causing no harm.

"Exterminate!" The Supreme Dalek screeched before shooting at Jack. Jack collapsed to the floor, dead, and Rose gasped, running over and kneeling down at him.

"Jack!" She gapsed as me and The Doctor shared a look. "Oh, my God! Oh, no!"

"Rose, come here, leave him." The Doctor said quietly as we each took either one of Rose's arm, pulling her up.

"They killed him."

"I know. I'm sorry." I whispered.

"Escort them to the Vault." The Supreme Dalek ordered.

"There's nothing we can do." The Doctor mumbled.

"They are the playthings of Davros now."

Me and The Doctor looked down at Jack as we were lead away with Rose. He opened his eyes quickly and winked at us before we turned away.

...

"Activate the holding cells." Davros croaked. The holding cells activated along with the lights. I stood in the middle of The Doctor and Rose, each of us in a spotlight as Davros rolled towards The Doctor. "Excellent. Even when powerless, a Time Lord is best contained."

"Still scared of me, then?" The Doctor asked casually, reaching out and touching the edge of the holding cell, making it ripple with a blue light.

"It is time we talked, Doctor. After so very long."

"No no no no no, we're not doing the nostalgia tour, I wanna know what's happening, right here, right now, cos the Supreme Dalek said Vault, yeah?" The Doctor asked, looking around. "As in dungeon? Cellar? Prison?"

I smirked and looked over at Davros as he moved round so he was sat in front of both me and The Doctor. "You're not in charge of the Daleks, are you? They've got you locked away down here in the basement like, what, a servant? Slave? Court jester?"

"We have... an arrangement." Davros said dryly.

"No no no no, I've got the word." The Doctor laughed. "You're the Dalek's pet!"

"So very full of fire, is he not?" Davros snapped, moving towards Rose. "And to think you crossed entire universes, striding parallel to parallel to find him again."

"Leave her alone."

"She is mine, to do as I please."

"Then why am I still alive?" Rose asked.

"You must be here. It was foretold. Even the Supreme Dalek would not dare to contradict the prophecies of Dalek Caan." He flicked a switch on his panel and a spotlight turned itself of, and there sat Dalek Caan with his casing blown open, his true form hanging out.

"So cold and dark, fire is coming, the endless flames..." Dalek Caan said in a sing song voice.

"What is that thing?" Rose asked.

"You've met before." I said darkly, watching Caan. "The last of the Cult of Skaro. But it flew into the Time War, unprotected."

"Caan did more than that." Davros said, looking over at you. "He saw time, its infinite complexity and majesty, raging through his mind. And he saw you. All of you."

"This I have foreseen, in the wild, and the wind." Caan said. "The Doctor and his love will be here, as witness. At the end of everything. The Doctor and his precious Children of Time." Caan giggled out. "And one of them will die!"

"Was it you, Caan?" I screamed as The Doctor watched, angrily. "Did you kill Donna? Why did the TARDIS door close, tell me!"

"Oh, that's it!" Davros laughed. "The anger. The fire. The rage of a Time Lord who butchered millions, bled into this human woman. There he is! Why so shy? Show your companion. Show her what The Doctor has changed you into since you last met." I glanced over at Rose, who was watching me, a little surprised. Because yes, of course I had changed since we lost Rose. I'd turned into a dark, horrible and fearful woman, not like the sweet, innocent girl who ran out of a warehouse from a Graske, the girl who didn't have a backbone, who couldn't stand up to a few snide comments from Rose. "Dalek Caan has promised me that, too."

"I have seen." Caan giggled. "At the time of ending, the Doctor's and his woman's souls will be revealed. And the truth will be told."

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked.

"We will discover it together." Davros grinned. "Our final journey. Because the ending approaches, the testing begins." He turned round, about to roll off.

"Testing of what?" I asked.

Davros turned back round, "The Reality Bomb." He said, as if it was obvious. "Behold the apotheosis of my genius!" He flicked a switch on his panel and a holographic screen appeared, showing a group of people standing together, standing underneath a gelled green circular pad, held up by a metal structure.

"...two, one, zero." The Supreme Dalek's voice boomed through from the screen. "Activate planetary alignment field!"

"That's Z-Neutrino energy... flattened by the alignment of the planets into a single string." The Doctor began before turning to Davros in horror. "No! Davros! Davros, you can't! You can't! NO!"

We watched as the prisoners disappeared, breaking into atoms then nothing.

"Doctor?" Rose asked nervously. "Flo? What happened?"

"Electrical energy, Miss Tyler." Davros said slyly. "Every atom in existence is bound by an electrical field. The Reality Bomb cancels it out. Structure falls apart. That test was focused on the prisoners alone. Full transmission will dissolve every form of matter."

"Stars are going out..." Rose whispered.

"The 27 planets." I gulped. "They become one vast transmitter. Blasting that wavelength..."

"Across the entire universe. Never stopping, never faltering, never fading." Davros smirked. "People and planets and stars will become dust, and the dust will become atoms, and the atoms will become... nothing. And the wavelength will continue, breaking through the Rift at the heart of the Medusa Cascade into every dimension, every parallel, every single corner of creation! This is my ultimate victory, Doctor! The destruction of reality itself!"

I gulped, shaking my head. "The end of days." I whispered.

Suddenly, a holographic screen appeared in the Vault.

"This message is for the Dalek Crucible, repeat, can you hear me?" Martha's voice came through.

"MARTHA!" I shouted, trying to bolt forward only to stumble back because of the holding cell.

"Put me through." The Doctor begged.

"It begins. As Dalek Caan foretold." Davros smirked.

"The Children of Time will gather." Caan giggled. "And one of them will die!"

"Stop saying that! Put me through!" The Doctor shouted.

"Doctor, Flo!" Martha sighed. "I'm sorry. I had to."

"Oh, but the Doctor and his love are powerless." Davros said smugly. "My prisoner. State your intent."

"I've got the Osterhagen Key." Martha said, holding up the Osterhagen key. "Leave this planet and its people alone. Or I'll use it."

"Osterhagen what? What's an Osterhagen Key?!"

"There's a chain of 25 nuclear warheads, placed in strategic points beneath the Earth's crust. If I use the key, they detonate and the Earth gets ripped apart."

"What?! Who invented that?! Well, someone called Osterhagen, I suppose."

"Martha, are you insane!?" I gasped. "Luke, Rani, Maria and Clyde are still on Earth, and I swear girl I will kill you myself!"

Martha gave a small smile, "Nice to see you're still you, even in a massive panic like this." She immediately sobered, clutching the key tightly. "The Osterhagen Key is to be used, if the suffering of the human race is so great, so without hope... that this becomes the final option."

"That's never an option!" The Doctor said.

"Don't argue with me, Doctor! Cos it's more than that. Now, I reckon the Daleks need these 27 planets for something, but what if it becomes 26? What happens then? Daleks? Would you risk it?"

"She's good." Rose nodded.

"Who is that?"

"My name's Rose. Rose Tyler."

"Oh, my God!" Martha gasped, her jaw dropping as she quickly glanced at me before back to Rose. "They found you."

"Second transmission, internal!" A Dalek called.

"Display!" The Supreme Dalek ordered. A second screen appeared with Jack holding Mum's warp star high, with Mum, Mickey and Jackie in the background. WAIT. JACKIE AND MICKEY. I grinned with shock. Oh how I had missed them two. They were here and- MUM.

"Captain Jack Harkness, calling all Dalek boys and girls!" Jack said. "Are you receiving me? Don't send in your goons, or I'll set this thing off!"

"He's still alive!" Rose gasped before spotting Jackie. "Oh my god, that-that's my mum!"

"And Mickey - Jack, what are you doing?" I asked.

"I've got a Warp Star wired into the mainframe." Jack said. "I break this shell, the entire Crucible goes up."

"You can't!" The Doctor shouted. "Where did you get a Warp Star?!"

"From me!" Mum said, stepping forward. "We had no choice. We saw what happened to the prisoners."

"Impossible." Davros gasped. "That face... after all these years."

"Davros? It's been quite a while. Sarah Jane Smith, remember?"

"Oh, this is meant to be! The Circle of Time is closing. You were there, on Skaro, at the very beginning of my creation."

"And I've learnt how to fight since then! You let the Doctor and my daughter go, or this Warp Star - it gets opened."

Davros looked back at me with shock. Of course, he didn't know I was the oh so famous Sarah Jane Smith's daughter, did he?

"I'll do it!" Jack threatened. "Don't imagine I wouldn't."

"Now that's what I call a ransom!" Rose grinned as The Doctor looked at the floor guiltily as I watched the screen. "Doctor? Flo?"

"And the prophecy unfolds." Davros said slyly.

"The Doctor's soul is revealed." Caan giggled. "See him! See the heart of him!"

"The man who abhors violence. Never carrying a gun. But this is the truth, Doctor. You take ordinary people and you fashion THEM into weapons. Behold your Children of Time, transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor. You made this."

"They're trying to help." I said firmly.

"Already, I have seen them sacrifice today, for their beloved Doctor. The Earth woman, who fell opening the Subwave Network."

"Who was that?" The Doctor asked, looking up.

"Harriet Jones." Rose said sadly. "She gave her life to get you here."

"How many more? Just think! How many have died in your name?" Davros asked.

And then I thought, of all the people who had died since The Doctor had been travelling since after the war: Jabe, the Controller, Lynda, Sir Robert, Mrs Moore, Mr Skinner, Ursula, Bridget, the Face of Boe, Chantho, Astrid, Luke Rattigan, Jenny, River Song, the Hostess...

"The Doctor." Davros continued. "The man who keeps running, never looking back. Because he dare not, out of shame. This is my final victory, Doctor. I have shown you... yourself."

"Enough!" The Supreme Dalek snapped. "Engage defence zero-five."

Martha lifted up the Osterhagan key up menacingly, "It's the Crucible or the Earth."

"Transmat engaged."

Suddenly, everyone on the screen disappeared and reappeared in the fault a few feet away. Jack bolted over to Martha, pulling her up.

"Martha! I've got you, it's all right..." Jack said softly as Mickey helped Mum up.

"Don't move, all of you, stay still!" The Doctor called over.

"Guard them! On your knees, all of you. Surrender!" Davros ordered.

"Do as he says." The Doctor said weakly. The five of them shared a look with me before getting on their knees.

"And now everyone is here," Davros rolled over to me and stared menacingly. "I have you, the child with the timeline burning across the stars, to do as I please."

"Don't you dare hurt her!" The Doctor shouted at him.

"And why would I do that?" Davros asked, never looking away from me.

"You need me alive," I said calmly. "Because I've got the one thing you can use against him."

"And what is that?"

"His child." Davros rolled back a bit, looking shocked along with Mum, Mickey and Jackie too. I grinned slowly, realising I had the upper hand. "Cause it's true, it kept being repeated, and now it makes sense. I do have the universes biggest secret under my jumper." Davros just stared back at me.

"Mum, I told you not to!" Rose called over to Jackie in a low voice.

"Yeah, but I couldn't leave you." Jackie replied.

Davros looked away from me, addressing all of us. "The final prophecy is in place. The Doctor and his children, all gathered as witnesses. Supreme Dalek, the time has come! Now... detonate the Reality Bomb!" My face fell, I hadn't done enough to save us. The one time The Doctor needed me, and I'd failed.

"Activate planetary alignment field!" The Supreme Dalek boomed. "Universal Reality Detonation in 200 rels."

"You can't, Davros, just listen to me!" The Doctor begged. "Just stop!"

Davros laughed with insane delight, "Nothing can stop the detonation, nothing and no-one!"

Suddenly, wind began to blow through the Vault, and The TARDIS materialised inside the Vault slowly.

"But that's..." The Doctor began.

"Impossible!" Davros spat as The TARDIS door opened and a bright light filled the door frame. In the doorway stood... The Doctor. Hang on wait. It was a second Doctor, a new Doctor, with some sort of gun device in his hand.

"Brilliant!" Jack gasped. Suddenly, the new Doctor bolted out, sprinting towards Davros.

"Don't!" The Doctor shouted. Davros suddenly zapped at the new Doctor, a bolt of electricity flying through his finger. The new Doctor flew to the ground, looking up, stunned.

"Activate holding cell." Davros said, and a holding cell appeared around him. Suddenly, Donna ran out of The TARDIS- hang on, Donna! SHE WAS ALIVE. - and picked up the weapon, looking at it nervously.

"Doctor!" She called. "I've got it. But I don't know what to do!" Suddenly, Davros zapped her, sending her flying back towards the control panel in the centre of the room.

"Donna!" I screamed over.

"Donna! Are you all right, Donna?" The Doctor shouted.

"Destroy the weapon." Davros ordered, and one of the Dalek's shot at it, making it explode. "I was wrong about your warriors, Doctor. They are pathetic!"

"How come there's two of you?" Rose asked, shock.

"Human biological metacrisis." The Doctor said, looking around angrily.

"Never mind that, now we've got no way of stopping the Reality Bomb!" I sighed.

"Detonation in 20 rels... 19..." The Supreme Dalek began. One of the screens flicked over, showing all the 27 planets begin to glow with energy. "Stand witness, Time Lord! Stand witness, humans! Your strategies have failed. Your weapons are useless. And, oh. The end of the universe is come."

"... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one..." Suddenly, the countdown stopped and the screen disappeared. An alarm sounded and all of us, humans, Daleks and Doctors, looked around in confusion.

"Oh... opening teleports and closing all Z-Neutrino relay loops using an internalised synchronous back-feed reversal loop?" We all looked over at Donna standing by the control panel, flicking a switch. "That button there!" Wait, opening teleports? Suddenly, there was a flash of light and either side of me and The Doctor stood Hero and... my jaw dropped and tears filled my eyes as me and The Doctor looked at each other. _Jenny. _She was alive. And both holding massive guns, identical to Rose's. Oh well.

"Donna, you can't even change a plug!" The Doctor said, bemused as The Doctor and I looked back her.

"D'you wanna bet, Time Boy?" Donna grinned.

"You'll suffer for this!" Davros shouted, rasing his hand to zap her. Donna quickly flicked another switch, sending the electricity back into his arm, making him jolt. "Argh!"

"Oh, bio-electric dampening field with a retrogressive arc inversion?"

"Exterminate her!"

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" The Daleks shouted, as we all watched in shock. Donna began fiddling with more switches, unbothered before looking up at the Daleks a grin. "Weapons non-functional."

"What?" Donna asked them. "Macrotransmission of a K-filter wavelength blocking Dalek weaponry in a self-replicating energy blindfold matrix?"

"How d'you work that out?" I asked, stunned. "You..."

"Time Lord!" The Metacrisis interrupted. "Part Time Lord!"

"Part human!" Donna finished, delighted. "Oh, yes! That was a two-way biological metacrisis. Half Doctor, half Donna!"

"The DoctorDonna!" The Doctor said in realisation. "Just like the Ood said, remember? They saw it coming! The DoctorDonna!"

"Holding cells deactivated." Donna said, flicking some switches and turning off the holding cells as Hero ran over to help her and Jenny ran over to Martha, helping everyone up. "And seal the Vault. Well, don't just stand there, you skinny boys in suits! Get to work!"

The Doctor and I shared a look before the both of us, and the Metacrisis, ran up to the control panel

"Stop them!" Davros shouted. "Get them away from the controls."

Donna flicked another switch and turned a dial. "Aaand spin."

The Daleks started to spin around, helpless, which made me smile really.

"Help me, help me!" A Dalek cried.

"Aaand the other way." Hero said, repeating the process.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Back up plan." Hero laughed, reaching over and placing a kiss on my forehead.

"What did you do?!" The Metacrisis asked, watching Donna in awe.

"Trip-stitch circuit-breaker in the psycho-kinetic threshold manipulator!" Donna said, grinning quickly.

"But that's brilliant!"

"Why did we never think of that?" The Doctor asked the Metacrisis, frowning.

"Because you two, you were just Time Lords, you dumbos!" Donna said. "Lacking that little bit of human, that gut instinct that comes hand in hand with Planet Earth. I can think of ideas you two wouldn't dream of in a million years! Ah, the universe has been waiting for me! Now... let's send that trip-stitch all over the ship! Did I ever tell you?" She held up her hands, wiggling her fingers. "Best temp in Chiswick, 100 words per minute!"

"Ha!" I laughed before running over to Mickey and pulling him into a hug. "Never a tin dog." I smiled, kissing him on the head. "Hello's after all this is sorted." I called to everyone, bolting back over to The Doctor.

"Come on then, boys, we've got 27 planets to send home! Activate Magnetron!"

"Stop this at once!" Davros shouted, advancing menacingly towards me.

"Mickey!" Jack shouted, running back out of The TARDIS carrying two guns, before throwing one to Mickey.

"You will desist!"

Mickey moved forward, stopping Davros by pointing the gun at him. "Just stay where you are, mister." Mickey threatened.

"Out of the way!" Jack called, kicking a Dalek away from him.

"Good to see you again!" Mum said to Rose as the both of them pushed a Dalek away.

"Oh, you too!" Rose replied.

I ran over to Martha, helping her push one away before grinning at her.

"Is everything ok?" She asked, gesturing to the baby.

"Is now the time?" I laughed.

"Ok, probably not." She laughed back.

"Ready?" Donna asked The Doctor's as I skidded back over. "And reverse!" They each pulled out different levers on the panel, making the planets return.

"Off you go, Clom." The Doctor said.

"Back home, Adipose 3!" The Metacrisis cheered.

"Shallacatop, Pyrovillia and the Lost Moon of Poosh, sorted! Ha!" Donna grinned.

"Ha!"

"We need more power!" The Doctor said, pulling out his sonic and sonicing at the wires.

"Is anyone gonna tell us what's going on?" Rose asked as everyone approached us.

"He," Donna began, gesturing to The Doctor. "Poured all his regeneration energy into his spare hand, I touched the hand, he," She gestured to the Metacrisis. "Grew out of that but that fed back into me. But, it just stayed dormant in my head till the synapses got that little extra spark, kicking them into life. Thank you, Davros!" She grinned at all of us. "Part human... part Time Lord. And I got the best bit of the Doctor. I got his mind!"

"So there's three of you?" Mum asked.

"Three Doctors?" Rose asked.

"I can't tell you what I'm thinking right now." Jack began, inhaling sharply.

"You're so unique the timelines were converging on you." I grinned. "Human being with a Time Lord brain."

"But you promised me, Dalek Caan!" Davross hissed, turning round to look at Caan. "Why did you not foresee this?"

Dalek Caan giggled.

"Oh, I think he did." I muttered.

"Something's been manipulating the timelines for ages." The Doctor said warily. "Getting Donna Noble to the right place at the right time."

"This would always have happened. I only helped, Doctor." Caan replied.

"You betrayed the Daleks!" Davros shouted.

"I saw the Daleks. What we have done, throughout time and space, I saw the truth of us, Creator, and I decreed 'No more!'"

"I will descend to the Vault!" The Supreme Dalek boomed, lowering himself into the vault.

"Heads up!" Jack shouted, cocking his gun as Jenny and Hero moved either side of him, cocking their guns too.

"Davros! You have betrayed us!"

"It was Dalek Caan." Davros replied feebly.

"The Vault will be purged! You will all be exterminated!" Suddenly, it shot at the control panel and the Metacrisis bolted forward, pulling me out of the way.

"Like I was saying. Feel this!" Jack shouted and in unison he, Hero and Jeny raised their guns and shot at the Supreme Dalek, making it blow up easily.

"Oh, we've lost the Magnetron!" The Doctor groaned, examining the control panel. "And there's only one planet left - guess which one? But we can use the TARDIS..." He bolted inside and the Metacrisis leaned in, flicking switches on the remains of the control panel.

"Holding Earth stability!" The Metacrisis called through. "Maintaining atmospheric shell."

"The prophecy must complete." Caan cackled.

"Don't listen to him!" Davros shouted.

"I have seen the end of everything Dalek, and you must make it happen, Doctor!"

The Metacrisis looked at me as I stared back at him, giving him a pleading look.

"He's right." The Metacrisis said. "Cos with or without a Reality Bomb, this Dalek Empire's big enough to slaughter the cosmos... They've got to be stopped!"

"Just - just wait for the Doctor!" Donna said.

"I am the Doctor!" He span around again, beginning to work on the controls. "Maximising Dalekanium power feeds! Blasting them back!" One by one, Daleks began to explode, making the Crucible shake.

The Doctor bolted out of The TARDIS, standing in the doorway and looking around in shock.

"What have you done?" The Doctor asked, horrified.

"Fulfilling the prophecy."

"D'you know what you've done?" The Doctor shouted furiously. "Now get in the TARDIS! Everyone! All of you, inside! Run! In! In! In! In!" The Metacrisis ran in the door and everyone began to follow.

The Metacrisis cheered as everyone ran past him, "Sarah Jane! Martha! Rose! Jackie! Jack! Hero! Jenny! Mickey!"

The Doctor stood in the doorway, holding onto my arm as I stood in front of him. My feet had glued to the floor and I stood, staring at Davros in the middle of the fire and destruction.

"Davros!" I shouted, holding my arm out. "Come with us! I promise we can save you."

"Never forget, Doctor." Davros screeched at The Doctor. "You did this! I name you, forever... you are the Destroyer of the Worlds!" He screamed, disappearing behind the flames.

"One will still die." Caan croaked. The Doctor grabbed my by the waist and pulled me in before slamming the doors. The both of us ran up to the console, surrounded by everyone else.

"And... off we go!" The Doctor said, pulling a lever.

"But what about the Earth?" Mum asked. "It's stuck in the wrong part of space!"

"I'm on it!" I called, bolting round to the monitor. "Torchwood Hub! This is Flo! Are you receiving me?"

"Loud and clear!" Gwen replied. "Are Jack, Hero and Jenny there?"

I frowned, "Uh yeah. How do you know Hero and Jenny?"

"Ah." Jack winced. "I took them in. They've been working at Torchwood." I reached forward and slapped him, making him stumble back before grabbing his jacket and placing a kiss to his forehead.

"Thank you." I said before turning back to the monitor as The Doctor and Rose looked over at the monitor.

"Jack, what's her name?" The Doctor asked.

"Gwen Cooper." Jack replied.

"Tell me, Gwen Cooper, are you from an old Cardiff family?"

"Yes, all the way back to the 1800s!" Gwen replied, sharing a look with Ianto.

"Yeah, thought so, spatial genetic multiplicity." The Doctor said, grinning with Rose.

"Oh yeah!" Rose giggled.

"Yeah, yeah, funny old world..."

"Now, Torchwood, I want you to open up that Rift Manipulator." I said. "Send all the power to me."

"Doing it now, ma'am!" Ianto called through, moving out of shot.

"What's that for?" Gwen asked.

"It's a tow-rope. Now Luke, Mr Smith!" I called through. "Come on Luke, baby!"

Suddenly, Luke popped up on the screen, in the attic.

"Are you and Mum ok?" He asked.

"Oh, we're fine and dandy..." I grinned.

"Yes! Yes!" Mum laughed with relief.

"Now Mr Smith, I want you to harness the rift power and loop it around the TARDIS, you got that?"

"I regret, I will need remote access to TARDIS base code numerals." Mr Smith replied.

The Doctor winced, "Oh, blimey, that's gonna take a while."

"No, no, no, let me!" Mum grinned, running round to the monitor. "K9! Out you come!" Suddenly, K9 appeared next to Luke.

"Oh, good dog!" I cheered. "K-9, give Mr Smith the base code!"

"Mistress!" K9 replied, rolling off screen and towards Mr SMith. "TARDIS base code now being transferred. The process is simple!"

"Now then, you lot..." The Doctor said, walking around the console. "Sarah, hold that down." He pointed out a control to Mum as I stepped away from the console. "Mickey, you hold that." He pointed to another control. "Cos, you know why this TARDIS always is always rattling about the place? Rose, that, there." He pointed out another control, "It's designed to have six pilots. And I had to do it single handed. Martha, keep that level." He placed her hand over a lever, "But not any more! Jack, there you go, steady that." He pointed out another control. "Now we can fly this thing..." He grinned before noticing Jackie, coughing awkwardly. "No, Jackie, no, no, not you, don't touch anything, just... stand back." He gently pushed Jackie back before returning to the rest of us. "Like it's meant to be flown! We've got the Torchwood Rift looped around the TARDIS by Mr Smith, and we're gonna fly Planet Earth back home!" He moved over into his right place. "Right then! Off we go!" He pulled a lever and The TARDIS began to move, pulling the Earth along. I moved along to Hero and Jenny, leaning against the railings and watching casually. I threw my arms around Hero, who hugged me back.

"Thank you." I mumbled, pulling back and looking at him.

"I always come when you need me." He shrugged as I moved over and put my arm around Jenny, hugging her as I looked at him.

"You know I don't mean that." I laughed. "For looking after _her_." I smiled, pushing a strand of hair out of Jenny's eyes. The three of us looked back over at the console, watching everyone.

"Rose." The Doctor said, pointing to a control.

The Metacrisis and Donna walked around the console, watching everyone.

"That's really good, Jack." Donna said to Jack. "I think you're the best." She smiled at him before both she and the Metacrisis walked over to us, leaning against the railing.

As the Earth arrived back to its proper position, everyone began laugh, cheer, clap, and hug each other. I watched Donna push aside Mum from Jack to throw herself in his arms. I laughed and Mum walked over to me, hugging me tightly.

...

The Doctor, Mum and I stepped out of The TARDIS into an everyday park.

"You know, you act like such a lonely man." Mum said, smiling at The Doctor. "But look at you. You've got the biggest family on Earth! And now it's getting even bigger." She laughed, squeezing my hand before hugging The Doctor. She pulled back quickly. "Gotta go! He's only 14. I expect Flo's explained. And thank you!" She grinned and dashed off.

"I'll be home soon, I promise!" I called after her. "Make sure Luke rings Maria!"

"Sarah Jane Smith, a mother eh?" The Doctor sighed, smiling at me when Jack and Martha stepped out of The TARDIS. "I told you, no teleport!" The Doctor moaned, grabbing Jack's wrist and sonicing on the vortex manipulator. "And, Martha, get rid of that Osterhagen thing, eh? Save the world one more time."

"Consider it done." Martha nodded.

"Are you not staying?" The Doctor asked hopefully.

Martha shook her head, smiling. "No. And for good now." My face dropped and I swallowed, nodding. "You'll see me again. I just, can't do the travelling anymore."

I smiled sadly. "Martha Jones, you're a star." I said before Jack saluted, and then Martha. The Doctor looked at them, surprised for a moment, then saluted back. Jack and Martha smiled at me before walking off, hand in hand.

"You know, I'm not sure about UNIT these days. Maybe there's something else you could be doing." I heard Jack say.

Suddenly, Mickey stepped out of The TARDIS, walking in front of us.

"Oi, where are you going?" I asked.

"Well I'm not stupid, I can work out what happens next." Mickey shrugged. "And hey, I had a good time in that parallel world, but my gran passed away. Nice and peaceful. She spent her last years living in a mansion. There's nothing there for me now, certainly not Rose."

"What will you do?" The Doctor asked.

"Anything! Brand new life! Just you watch." He grinned and squeezed my hand before bumping fists with The Doctor. "See you, boss." He nodded before running after Jack and Martha. "Hey, you two!"

"Look after him!" I shouted, making the three of them look back. "As Jack will tell you Martha, that man blew up Downing Street and saved the universe with a big yellow truck." Mickey smiled back at me before the three of them walked off.

Then Jenny and Hero stepped out.

"And where are you going?" I asked.

"Not back to Torchwood, don't worry." Hero laughed. "Off travelling probably."

"Why not travel with us?" The Doctor asked.

Hero and Jenny shook their heads. "No." Hero said. "Things are too complicated right now. But we will. In time."

The Doctor looked over at Jenny sadly, "We've only just got you back."

Jenny smiled, "You'll see me again." We all exchanged hugs before Hero took Jenny's hand and began to walk off.

"Hero." I called after him. Hero looked back at me. "You're brother, the boy from the Titanic... what happened?"

"J?" He asked. "I'm not allowed to go get him yet, timelines." He sighed. "Besides, he's not even my real brother." He looked back at me sadly before walking off with Jenny.

Me and The Doctor shared a look before stepping into The TARDIS.

"Just time for one last trip." The Doctor said, walking up to the console. "Darlig Ulv Stranden. Better known as..."

...

"Ah, fat lot of good this is!" Jackie complained as we stepped out onto Bad Wolf Bay. "Back of beyond. Bloody Norway! I'm gonna have to phone your father, he's on the nursery run." Jackie called back to Rose before turning to The Metacrisis. "I was pregnant, do you remember? Had a baby boy!"

"Ah, brilliant!" The Metacrisis grinned. "What did you call him?"

"Doctor."

The Metacrisis stared back, stunned. "Really?"

"No, you plum! He's called Tony."

"Hold on, this is... the parallel universe, right?" Rose asked, confused.

"You're back home." The Doctor nodded.

"And the walls of the world are closing again, now that the Reality Bomb never happened." Donna said. "It's dimensional retroclosure. See, I really get that stuff now."

"No, but... I spent all that time trying to find you. I'm not going back now!" Rose argued.

"But you've got to." The Doctor said. "Cos we saved the universe, but at a cost." He looked over at the Metacrisis. "And the cost is him. He destroyed the Daleks. He committed genocide. He's too dangerous to be left on his own."

"You made me!" The Metacrisis replied, offended.

"Exactly. You were born in battle, full of blood and anger and revenge." He glanced back over at Rose. "Remind you of someone?" Rose just stared back at him. "That's me, when we first met. And you made me better. Now you can do the same for him."

"But he's not you." Rose said.

"He needs you. That's very me."

"No, because you both love _her_!" Rose exclaimed, pointing over at me as I moved opposite Rose with both Doctors either side of us.

"No they don't." I said, making everyone on the beach, stare at me, stunned. "Because I've been kidding myself for the last... year, maybe? Because he will always love you more than me, and I've known that from day one. Won't you, Doctor?" I looked over at The Doctor who just looked down at the floor. "See? And now, I have to deal with the fact that one day I will have to tell my son that his father had always loved another woman more than me. And that breaks my heart. But this man," I nodded to the Metacrisis. "Is willing to spend his days with you.

"Don't you see what he's trying to give you?" Donna asked. "Tell her, go on." She said to the Metacrisis.

"I look like him, I think like him, same memories, same thoughts, same everything." The Metacrisis said. "Except I've only got one heart."

"Which means?" Rose asked.

"I'm part human. Specifically, the aging part. I'll grow old and never regenerate. I've only got one life... Rose Tyler. I could spend it with you. If you want."

"You'll grow - grow old... at the same time as me?"

"Together."

Confused, Rose reached forward and placed her hand on his chest when a grinding sound echoed from The TARDIS.

"We've got to go, this reality is sealing itself off... for ever." The Doctor said before the three of us headed to The TARDIS.

"But... it's still not right..." Rose shouted, running over a bit, making us look back. "Cos the Doctor is... still you."

"And I'm him!"

"All right. Both of you, answer me this." She said. I pushed The Doctor forward a little and both Doctors stood either side of Rose. "When I last stood on this beach, on the worst day of my life, what was the last thing you said to me? Go on, say it."

The Doctor sighed, "I said, 'Rose Tyler'."

"Yeah, and how was that sentence gonna end?"

"Does it need saying?"

She turned and looked at the Metacrisis. "And you, Doctor? What was the end of that sentence?"

The Metacrisis leaned in and whispered in her ear. Rose pulled back and looked at him before pulling him by the lapels of his jacket, kissing him. The Doctor watched them before he, I and Donna got inside The TARDIS.

"Flo!" I looked back, the last one to get in, peering out as I was about to shut the door. Rose looked over at me, the Metacrisis a few steps behind her. "What do you do now?"

I gulped, smiling, trying to keep the tears from flowing, "Walking away time." I replied.

"Don't." Rose begged me. For once, she was being kind. And she didn't want me to leave him.

"I have to." I gave her one last smile.

"Flo!" I looked back at her again. "An unborn baby is going to destroy the world. I thought you might want to know." I stared back at her before shutting the door.

...

I sat on the jump seat, watching Donna adjust the controls as The Doctor leaned against one of the coral pieces, smiling at her sadly. I didn't want this to happen. And I'd just about worked out what would happen next.

"I thought we could try the planet Felspoon." Donna said. "Just cos. What a good name! Felspoon! Apparently, it's got mountains that sway in the breeze. Mountains that move, can you imagine?"

"And how d'you know that?" The Doctor asked softly.

"Because it's in your head. And if it's in your head, it's in mine!"

"And how does that feel?"

"Brilliant! Fantastic! Molto bene! Great big universe, packed into my brain! You know you could fix that chameleon circuit if you just tried hotbinding the fragment-links and superseding the binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary, binary," She took a deep breath, returning to the controls. "I'm fine!" The Doctor shot me a look and I looked back at Donna, devestated. "Nah, never mind Felspoon. Know who I'd like to meet? Charlie Chaplin! I bet he's great, Charlie Chaplin. Shall we do that? Shall we go and see Charlie Chaplin? Shall we? Charlie Chaplin? Charlie Chester, Charlie Brown, no, he's fiction, friction, fiction, fixing, mixing, Rickston, Brixton..." She gasped out and leaned against the console, holding her head. I got up and put my arm around her as The Doctor walked over. "Oh, my God!"

"D'you know what's happening?" The Doctor asked as she turned to look at the both of us.

"Yeah." Donna sighed, giving in.

"There's never been a human/Time Lord metacrisis before now. And you know why."

"Because there can't be." She wriggled off my arm, turning away. "I want to stay."

"Look at me. Donna. Look at me." I whispered. She turned back, looking at the both of us with tears in her eyes.

"I was gonna be with you. Forever." She said, trembling, with tears in her eyes.

"I know." The Doctor said softly.

"Rest of my life. Travelling. In the TARDIS. The Doctor, Flo and Donna. Dream Team." We stared at her, eyes full of sorrow when it suddenly occured what would happen next. "No! Oh my god... I can't go back. Don't make me go back. Doctor, Flo, please, please don't make me go back!"

"Donna. Oh, Donna Noble." I sobbed, tears rolling down my face as The Doctor moved towards her. "I am so sorry. But we had the best of times. The best." She looked at us, tears streaming down her face.

"Goodbye." The Doctor whispered.

"No, no, no, please!" Donna begged as he placed his hands on her temples and closed his eyes. "Please, no, no!" Everything we'd done, forgotten. "No!" Suddenly, she fell into his arms, unconscious. The Doctor just stood there, rocking her back and forth as I sobbed.

...

I banged on the Noble's door over and over again, glancing down at The Doctor clutching Donna on the floor.

"That must be her! Donna?" Wilf's voice filtered through from the other side. The door swung open and Wilf looked at the three of us in shock.

"Help us." I begged.

...

"She took my mind into her own head." The Doctor said, explaining to Sylvia and Wilf as we sat opposite them in their sitting room. "But that's a Time Lord consciousness. All that knowledge, it was killing her."

"But she'll get better now?" Wilf asked.

"I had to wipe her mind completely. Every trace of me and Flo and Martha, or the TARDIS, anything we all did together, anywhere we went... had to go."

"All those wonderful things she did." Wilf said sadly.

"I know." I sighed. "But that version of Donna is dead. Cos if she remembers, just for a _second_, she'll burn up."

"You can never tell her!" The Doctor insisted. "You can't mention us or any of it... for the rest of her life."

"But the whole world's talking about it, we travelled across space!" Slyvia exclaimed.

"It'll just be a story. One of those Donna Noble stories, where she missed it all again."

"But she was better with you two!" Wilf exclaimed.

"Don't say that." Sylvia snapped.

"No, she was!"

"I just want you to know there are worlds out there, safe in the sky, because of her." The Doctor said. "That there are people living in the light, and singing songs of Donna Noble, a thousand million light years away. They will never forget her... while she can never remember. And for one moment... one shining moment... she was the most _important woman in the whole wide universe_."

"She still is." Sylvia said. "She's my daughter."

"Then maybe you should tell her that once in a while." The Doctor said abruptly before Donna burst into the sitting room, clutching her phone.

"I was asleep!" Donna exclaimed. "On my bed! In my clothes! Like a flippin' kid! What d'you let me do that for?" She glacned over at me and The Doctor. "Don't mind me. Donna." The Doctor stood up and shook her hand, although she wasn't looking, too busy focusing on her mobile.

"John Smith." The Doctor introduced.

"Mr and Mrs Smith were just leaving." Sylvia said dryly.

"My phone's gone mad, 32 texts!" Donna gasped. "Veena's gone barmy, she's saying planets in the sky! What have I missed now?" She turned and walked out of the room. "Nice to meet you." She called back vaguely to The Doctor.

"As I said... I think you should go." Sylvia said sternly.

...

"Donna." I called in softly to the kitchen as she spoke on her mobile. "I was just going."

"Yeah, see you." Donna replied, turning back to her phone. Me and The Doctor watched her one more time before turning and leaving.

...

"Ah. You'll have quite a bit of this." The Doctor said as we stepped out of the house into the extremely heavy rain. "Atmospheric disturbance. Still, it'll pass. Everything does." He sighed to himself as we turned back and looked at Wilf.

"Bye then, Wilfred." I said as The Doctor shook hands with him and we stepped out into the rain.

"Oh, Doctor, Flo..." Wilf began. "What about you now? Who've you got? I mean, all those friends of yours..."

"They've all got someone else." The Doctor said. "Still, that's fine. I'm fine."

"I'll watch out for you, sir."

"_You can't ever tell her!"_

"No, no, no. But every night, Doctor Flo, when it gets dark, and the stars come out, I'll look up... on her behalf. I'll look up at the sky, and think of you two."

"Thank you." I said softly before we turned and walking into The TARDIS. We walked up to the console and The Doctor began flicking some switches.

"I was right, wasn't I?" I asked. "It'll always be her, won't it?" The Doctor just glanced at me and looked back at the console. "Take me home." I whispered.

"No." He said.

"Sorry?" I asked.

"Please don't just run home because something's hard. Cause I'll wait for you to come back, you know I will, let's just talk about this properly, now."

"Who said I'd come back?" He looked up at me suddenly, hurt in his eyes. "You still love her, and it'll always be her. Me and you, it's not working, I can't do this anymore."

"You think I'm gonna let you walk off with our unborn child?" He asked.

"Who said I even wanted to travel with you?!" I shouted, making him stare at me, stunned. "You just took me with you because of my timeline, which I am fucking fed up of hearing about, who said I even wanted to come? Maybe I didn't want to travel!"

"No, that's not true."

"Maybe it is." I said bitterly. "Take me home."

"No."

"TAKE ME HOME!" I screamed, tears pouring down my face. The Doctor just stared at me, hurt when I started to type coordinates into my vortex minipulator. He strode forward, ripping it off my wrist. I screamed and pushed him back, crying. "Take me home." I whispered. The Doctor pulled a few controls and The TARDIS landed. I walked up to the doors and stepped out with The Doctor running after. I stepped out into the pouring rain of Bannerman Road, looking back at The Doctor in the doorway.

"Don't do this." He begged.

"I can't anymore." I sobbed. "What do we have left going for us anymore?"

"A BABY!"

"WE'RE DRIFTING APART!" I screamed, breathing heavily. "Ever since everything with the ATMOS, we've been drifting further and further apart, we argue, and it's just not working. I'm tired, I'm so so _tired _with the travelling now, and I can't do it. I don't want to do it."

"What am I going to do without you?"

"What you always do." I said shakily, walking forward and readjusting his tie. "Save the planets and civilazations and lots of different creatures. And an awful lot of running." I gave him one last shaky glance before pushing him back lightly and pulling in the doors of The TARDIS. I gulped and lightly placed my forehead against the doors before it materalized away. I stared at the empty space before turning and walking through the lane, up the drive of number 13.

**A/N - And so, there we are! As I upload this I will be uploading the next story: Me And You, Apart.**

**Official chapter line up for it is: **

**The Wedding Of Sarah Jane Smith (Parts 1&2)**

**Planet Of The Dead**

**Children Of Earth: Day 1**

**Children Of Earth: Day 2**

**Children Of Earth: Day 3**

**Children Of Earth: Day 4**

**Children Of Earth: Day 5**

**End Of Time (Part 1&2)**

**Enjoy, and don't forget to alert the new story!**

**Flo will return in: Me And You, Apart**


End file.
